Dark Room Notes are a four piece band that started life as a group of guitar obsessed teenagers, from the West of Ireland.

Growing ever older, music tastes and ideas changed between the members and most left to pursue careers in other areas. It was left to the founding members, Ruairie Ferrie and Ronan Gaughan to keep this band alive. Machines were used to replace existing members but they soon realised a few extra hands would make light work which was when Arran Murphy (keyboards) and Darragh Shanahan (drums) came to complete Dark Room Notes.

Dark Room Notes have, over the last year, been busy recording their debut album, working with Flood (Depeche Mode, Smashing Pumpkins) and also supporting bands such as Kraftwerk, Ladytron, Calvin Harris, Soulwax and Carl Craig.

'Love Like Nicotine' is the band's debut single which contains a remix of the single courtesy of Flood and a bonus track 'Electrocoin'.

Boyzone and Westlife this band are not! They may come from Ireland but that is where the similarities end - thank goodness! Dark Room Notes are more of your rock-pop band that are cool with an edgy feel to them.

'Love Like Nicotine' is an upbeat catchy little number. The vocals are fresh and raw sounding and I love the melody of the high pitched synthesizer. The guitars, drums and synth's all work really well together.

The 'Flood Dark Disco Mix' of this single is what it says, dark. The intro is minimalist but goes on to become fuller bodied and seems to get better as time goes on. Again, this is a catchy version and I like the female vocals to this.

'Electrocoin' starts with frantic keyboard chords mixed with some great guitar scratching before settling into the tune and showing off great guitar riffs.

I really like the sound of this band, it's fresh yet at the same time very familiar sounding.

8

Helena Rea