Who says that the Irish can't do twee? Err, nobody, actually, but.. still. If ever it was insinuated that the natives of this island are limited in their musical ambitions, Michael Knight dispel such a notion in one fell swoop. Youth Is Wasted On the Young, the scandalously underrated and overlooked 2005 long-player from the Dublin trio is a warm, engaging and thoroughly charming debut offering. It's said that band leader Richie Murphy hates comparisons with Belle and Sebastian, but the dulcet harmonies and congenial guitar-based melodies (Foals, Waves To The Shore) are undeniably akin to the Scottish twee merchants. However, further comparisons with Bacharach (Leaving Town, in particular) and Rufus Wainwright prove equally accurate. There's a sophistication about Youth Is Wasted On The Young that's not found in many debuts, so redress the indignity of this album's criminal disregard and pick it up now.

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