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Single Review: The Academic – Mixtape 2003

Indie pop four piece The Academic, who are based in Mullingar, have become one of Ireland’s most exciting new young bands. Honing their own infectious blend of indie pop and rock, the band have been building quite a reputation for their live performances. The band released their debut single ‘Different’ in early 2015 to a rapturous reception, while also receiving airplay by both Radio X and BBC Radio 1. Touring extensively throughout 2015, the band also supported Catfish and the Bottlemen, Kodaline and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, while also managing to sell out their own headline shows.

Having stormed the past 12 months, the band’s latest release ‘Mixtape 2003’ has been receiving considerable attention after the success of their first EP ‘Loose Friends’, which was released in October 2015. As the name ‘Mixtape 2003’ suggests, the song takes a nostalgia-inspired trip back to when mixtapes were our main means of listening to and sharing music. The band also seem heavily influenced by bands from the early Noughties such as The Killers, Kings of Leon and also The Strokes, with the song drawing heavy influence from that era.

One is instantly hooked by the song’s energetic and melodic guitars, coupled with the simple but catchy lyrics. This all makes for the perfect quintessential indie hit, similar in style to lyrics we would have heard from bands such as The Kooks or The Cribs in the infamous year referenced in the song title. Lead singer Craig Fitzgerald paints a picturesque scene of a carefree youth: “In my car there’s a cd, a mixtape of 2003, a better time for both of us, of skinny jeans and roll ups”. The song itself manages to capture that raw and raucous energy that the band have become increasingly famed for across Ireland. Succeeding in balancing contemporary charisma and retro vibes, The Academic have blended both these elements together to present the audience with their own unique indie sound.

7/10

‘Mixtape 2003’ by The Academic will be released on the 12th of August 2016 through Room 6 Records. The band will be touring the UK in October; details are here.