When independent Irish label Faction Records released their first collection of new Irish music three years ago, it came at the perfect time. The chrysalis of young talent was finally starting to blossom after the cold, barren winter of singer-songwriterism; the inclusion of tracks by acts like Cathy Davey, The Immediate and The Marshal Stars perfectly captured the sense of revolution, as well as an canny foresight of how diverse the scene was about to become.
Three years later, and it seems like a similar compilation should have the same impact as its predecessor. Irish music is in rude health, but a glance at the tracklisting - which, apart from two unreleased tracks, lacks the killer 'hard-to-find' rarity - confirms that there's little that most fans with a passing interest in the indigenous indie scene won't already have on their iPods.
Nonetheless, Television Room's 'Tinabelle' is a solid opener to the collection, their radio-friendly Beatles-meets-The Feeling hybrid proving immediately likeable. Other choice cuts include James Vincent McMorrow's 'Jacob', a snappy, hoary country-shuffle, the gorgeous, natural dreaminess of Autamata's 'Need You Sunshine', and the finest sliver of treacly indie-rock from The Flaws' debut album, 'No Room', while Dark Room Notes's slick, moody 'Slow Puncture' nicely whets the appetite for their forthcoming album.
Perhaps not as essential as the first instalment (which should be sought out and devoured) and perhaps released a year too late to be revelatory, Faction 2 is still a very fine exposition of some very fine Irish music.
