Sinead O’Brien - 'Kid Stuff'

Limerick born alt poet Sinead O’Brien is back with new single ‘Kid Stuff’, her first release since last year’s debut EP ‘Drowning in Blessings’. I first heard O’Brien at the tail-end of last year when her 2019 song ‘Limbo’ popped up on one of my Apple playlists just when I needed it as I was battling through a brick wall on a gloomy winter run around South West London. Her quirky style and unique delivery commanded attention from the get-go with the track’s slightly off-centre construction congregating somewhere in no man’s land between Fontaines D.C. , John Cooper Clarke,  St. Vincent and Courtney Barnett.

 ‘Kid Stuff’ builds on the infectious signature sound of ‘Limbo’ and the follow-up debut EP, though there’s a clear lift in the backing music which has a slight nudge towards Gorillaz with its choppy guitar and bass lines in the verse sounding a little like ‘Kids With Guns.’ There’s so much to love about this track and there’s no doubting Sinead O’Brien is one of the most interesting new acts out there. Whilst it’s easy to draw comparisons to elements of the song and spoken word delivery here and there, as a whole, it’s incredibly original and O’ Brien seems to be writing her own rulebook in terms of welding the songs together. 

It’s difficult to predict where the song’s going to go which makes for a hugely enjoyable listen and the multiple layers mean even on second and third listen you could have a completely different experience. 

In all probability, ‘Kid Stuff’ won’t be for everyone as, if you’re not ready for them, the vocal style could seem quite direct and slightly overpowering compared to the rest of the mix. If you like your music unpredictable and out of your comfort zone however, this could well be a top entry in your end of year Spotify/Apple playlists.  

Words by Richard Cobb

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