Elm, a captivating Dublin five-piece, are relative newcomers to the Irish music scene. But what they lack in terms of a musical back-catalogue they more than make up for with an abundance of style and talent. They’ve just released new single ‘Amends’ with an accompanying video which I’ve included below for your viewing pleasure.

Opening with breathy vocals and melancholic strings, Amends immediately introduces us to the seemingly effortless talents of Dylan Walsh and co. As the intensity in the track builds, subtle elements such as the cello and guitar come into their own. Amends has a contemporary baroque feel to it (I bet you never thought you’d see such a phrase uttered on this blog) and whilst the music creates a sense of energy and urgency it avoids overshadowing the main vocals.

And Walsh’s vocals really do deserve a special mention. Not only does he exude raw soul, but his ability to whisper in place of a shout, allowing the music to act as emotional punctuation, adds layers to Amends. With music charts championing male vocalists (dare I make the over-obvious Sam Smith reference) isn’t it time that we threw our contender into the ring?

Amends is a complex easy-listen (almost as big a contradiction as that statement) and a track thoroughly deserving of your attention.

Amends is out today (Monday 16 November)  and can be downloaded on iTunes.

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