Entertainment Ireland

Dublin's Urges make no bones about their affinity for 1960s garage/psychedelic music; in fact, they openly celebrate the fact that their sound is derivative of bands from their parents' record collections. This is both a good and bad thing - whilst those pillaged record collections are indeed, very good, they're also somewhat prosaic and don't leave much room for innovation. It's true: The Urges are not an innovative band, but they're still very good at what they do. The attention to detail here is palpable, from the cover art, to the fact that it was recorded via the gorgeous crackle and hiss of analogue in a remote Spanish studio. Reference points ping from every discernable corner, from the likes of The 13th Floor Elevators' dizzy psych, to the rollicking rock 'n' roll of The Kinks and early Stones, as well as lesser-known acts like The Chesterfield Kings and The Stomach Mouths. The 13th Floor recalls Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' 1960 hit 'Shakin' All Over', and Curse It All's swampy surf rock is strangely reminiscent of the Del Tones' famous number 'Misirlou' - but it's the fantastically dark, Shadows-like track The Urges Theme that makes Psych Ward spin-worthy, a song that's positively teeming with menace and tension, and which sounds like Ennio Morricone collaborating with the Rolling Stones. Psych Ward is an album that's mostly enjoyable and certainly well-crafted, but far from original. If that doesn't bother you, it's all well and good; there's a lot of pleasure to be sought from any record that's executed admirably, and with passion - something that's found in abundance here. If you're more interested in bands that are intent on creating a whole new genre, however, best steer clear of this.

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