Dublin indie-rock outfit Somebody’s Child have been attracting followers with their steady slew of single releases over the last few months, songs taken, for the most part, from 20-Something, this debut EP release which landed in early August.

In lead singer and band frontman Cian Godfrey Somebody’s Child have a talisman with bucket loads of rock and roll appeal. His voice manages to feel both raw and incredibly polished, while his lyrics are smart and dripping with charisma.

Of the four tracks assembled on 20-Something, two (Hold Me Like You Wanna and We Could Start A War) have already been released as singles, both featuring on Spotify’s New Music Friday and gaining the band airtime with a huge range of stations, including BBC Radio 1 (Jack Saunders’ Next Wave Artist), Radio X, RTÉ Radio 1 (Recommends), RTÉ 2FM, Today FM, and Amazing Radio’s A-list.

Opening track TV Screens is an instant summer indie classic, mixing synths and a pulsing drum line with the gravelly edges of Godfrey’s voice and the sardonic lyrical refrain: “Maybe we / In our television screens / Can find the meaning of life”.

Hold Me Like You Wanna is a more introspective, slower affair, propelled by a catchy bassline and a nostalgic feel, while the confusingly named Y.M.A.W.B.I.L. builds from a simple guitar loop intro that repeats throughout, into a dizzying finish.

Closing song We Could Start A War is the standout if I had to pick one (and that’s not an easy task because everything here is superb). It’s ludicrously catchy, urgent, powerful, and sees Godfrey’s voice at its absolute best, skipping between an almost falsetto at moments into it its barest, honest, depths.

Writing on their official website, the band say of their debut EP: “Topics range from anger and disillusionment with the powers that be, to a nostalgic love song about friendship. Themes of personal growth permeate throughout, with a DIY attitude being evident in its overall sound and feel.

“These songs were written in a pre-pandemic environment, but the seismic changes in the world since their inception has given new and deeper meanings to their subject matter, making the songs even more important to the artist and his band.” And to a fair few others, too, I bet.

20-Something track list:

1. TV Screens

2. Hold Me Like You Wanna

3. Y.M.A.W.B.I.L.

4. We Could Start A War

 indie       rock 

Author: Joe Sharratt

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