Back then, I remember how their sound really grabbed me - something about the colour and warmth that pervades the music. And now there's a chance to see how that translates to the medium of an album.
Well, in summary, it's diverse and interesting and yet very coherent. And it's a fun and engaging listen, too. The sound across the 9 tracks is sometimes chilled and fruity (yes, fruity, bear with me), sometimes fuzzier and slightly heavier, and at other times firmly taking a synth-pop route; this style-bending is all more than OK to me, and the resulting record is colourful and rich.
Lyrically, too, it's interesting: the LP contains some spot-on musings on emotion, relationships and the sometimes intractable mystery of other people.
The band's name - as explained by Robert Baker in an interview with RTE at the start of 2021 - is a reference to the idea of incorporating "different colours i.e. musical styles, influences, musicians and for it to evolve with each album".
This variety of musical colour is reflected in different ways on the record: there are the varying musical elements that I've already hinted at; there's the male/female vocal interplay, across the album as a whole - such as how Robert steps in to lead on the NSFW 'Out of your mind' after two female-led tracks - and also within individual songs (such as 'Boring', a chilled number full of lament). You also find an intriguing juxtaposition of pleasant vocals with harder hitting messages and lyrics.
I don't think I'm up to the task of a track by track rundown, and I'm not sure that makes for great reading, either. But here are a few other highlights for you to ponder ...
With 'Flames' (track 4) there's an intriguing American rock-and-roll feel to the main guitar riffs which underpin the whole song, but then there's a section where the music drops away to a more atmospheric, synth-led feeling. Again, kudos for this bold crossing of styles.
'Moment' (track 7) has always been a standout Crayon Set song. It's the infectious, rich synth arpeggios that do it, I think. That and the dulcet delivery from Kate Dineen, backed by Robert at certain well-chosen moments.
In some contrast, there's a heavier feel to track 8, 'Not The End of the World', once it gets going. This one is slow burner, with some build before fuzzy guitars come in, are knocked back, and then push their way to the forefront again, leading through to a classic chunky ending (think R.E.M. on 'New Adventures in Hifi'?).
The record ends with 'Miss You in My Dreams', which is rich, warm and (again) colourful. The song bathes you with its music, and here you can focus on how Kate delivers the lyrics in her uniquely straightforward way - singing clearly, and with restraint, but sometimes just subtly lengthening a syllable, taking a tiny breath or lingering on a consonant.
It's good to see The Crayon Set's listener base growing steadily (from 1300 monthly listeners last time I posted about them, to around 2300 as I write today) but the band don't seem to have managed to build a big following outside of Ireland, yet. I'm not sure why, and I really hope that changes. It would also be great to see the band playing some live dates in the UK soon.
Listen below and/or head to The Crayon Set's Bandcamp page to support this band's great work. There's a lush looking neon-red vinyl version available currently 😄