Critical Writings

Articles and Reviews: MUSIC

Achieving Vagueness by The Flaws

The Flaws sound like they’ve been teleported here from New York 1979 (or maybe they got into that particular sound second time around, via The Strokes), despite the fact that they’re a bunch of young lads from Monaghan who’ve just released their debut, the rather good Achieving Vagueness. But such geographical dislocation in the influences is fine by me, since that kind of music, it’s the kind I like. Apart from the odd lurch towards Killers-type kitsch, this is a thoughtfully jagged bunch of songs, played with a conviction that draws favourable comparisons with Television and early Talking Heads.

First published in Magill, December/January 2007/8