Fresh-faced and hotly tipped for success, The Academic crashed into the Irish charts when their debut album Tales from the Backseat hit number one back in 2018, propelled in part by smash hit single Bear Claws, and it’s ‘live looper’ music video which went viral and racked up over one million views on YouTube in its first 48 hours.

That early success spawned support slots with the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Kooks, and Noel Gallagher, and led to appearances on the bills of huge festivals around the world and a series of sold out shows across Ireland, the UK, and Europe.

Now the four-piece, composed of Craig Fitzgerald (lead vocals, guitar), Dean Gavin (drums), and brothers Matthew (guitar) and Stephen Murtagh (bass) and hailing from near Mullingar in the Irish midlands, are back with a new release, the six-track EP Acting My Age.

Recorded in Dublin and London and produced by former Kaiser Chief Nick Hodgson, it’s clear from the off that the band have grown and matured since their debut. Opening track Anything Could Happen, which was released as a standalone single back in May, is a catchy slice of indie-pop perfection, while title track Acting My Age is The Academic at their The Strokes inspired best. It’s a strutting, preening, beast of a track that sees Fitzgerald sing: “I never thought I’d tell myself it’s time to start acting my age / I know I’ve done some silly things I’ve made a few mistakes on the way”.

Unspoken adds some delicious electro to the mix, while Sunroof and Happy Hour are sunshine infused songs that reflect the time the band have spent on the east coast of the USA. Them, a softer ballad, brings the EP to a close in style.

Acting My Age feels like the latest waypoint in The Academics meteoric rise, and it’s probably your last chance to jump aboard before they go stratospheric.

Buy or stream Acting My Age through The Academic’s official website.

Acting My Age track list:

1. Anything Could Happen

2. Acting My Age

3. Unspoken

4. Sunroof

5. Happy Hour

6. Them

Watch the official video for Anything Could Happen here

 indie     rock 

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.