"covering over your head / she will not stand / for these flagrant of godwinning lies..."
The sort of porch blues rock / busker folk punk punches and moonlit reflections of "Lay There With You" by Irish alt-rock and shoegaze outfit The Altered Hours, and from their self titled third album, is so evocative, painted with a timeless retro-ism, a communal heart, rustic and prescient is bubbling under my skin. With the towering bass and simple punchdrunk beat, stalwart acoustic progs, folk punk vocal harmonies, background organs (love) and a searingly cool lead guitar riff, it is the kind of song you want to learn and play / sing to. It is a sing along, join in kind of song which are always incredibly satisfying.
The communal folk punk aesthetic / sound had me thinking of Kevin Morby and Cassie Ramone's too short lived Brooklyn born American rock band The Babies or maybe Twin Peaks or maybe Camera or maybe Dead Ghosts. These sonic touchstones could be close or far off the mark and what might be more to the point would be knowing where The Altered Hours inspirations percolate from. Which vinyl records pull at them when they peruse the wooden crates at second hand shops or those most special kinds of record stores.
LINER NOTES (excerpted / bracketed):
[The Altered Hours return with the announcement of their self-titled third studio album, due out September 26th via Pizza Pizza Records (home to Just Mustard), and the release of their lead single, the soulful, kinetic duet “Lay There With You”. Recorded to tape by renowned analogue producer Julie McLarnon (New Order, Lankum, Happy Mondays), The Altered Hours captures the band in full bloom —, delivering their most dynamic, direct, and emotionally resonant work to date.]
“The Valley, it offered a hand. I took it on one command; don’t you go sweet on me now…”
[Set in the atmospheric expanse of Cork’s Lee Valley, “Lay There With You” is a cinematic, slow-burning duet layered with jangling guitars, Hammond organ swells, and hypnotic rhythm, all unfolding into a stormy chorus that aches with yearning: “All I can do is lay there with you, hoping this rain it will ease.” The track builds to reveal a descending and defiant riff charged with rock and roll emotion.]
[Since forming in 2010, The Altered Hours have become one of Ireland’s most vital underground bands, praised for their immersive sound, visceral live energy, and dedication to the independent spirit. Across two albums and a string of EPs on celebrated indie labels like A Recordings, Penske, and Art For Blind, the band has forged a distinct voice within the European alternative scene, at once fuzz-drenched, emotionally raw, and impossible to pin down.]
[They’ve shared stages with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pop Group, and members of Spacemen 3, and earned the admiration of peers like Fontaines D.C., who invited them to join their European and UK tours, including stops at The Bataclan, Paradiso, and Alexandra Palace. Guitarist Cathal Mac Gabhann has also stepped in as live guitarist for Fontaines D.C., touring with the band across Japan and Australia.]
[Now signed to Pizza Pizza Records, The Altered Hours step into a new phase. Their forthcoming self-titled album channels the spark of their revered live shows, while allowing a new emotional depth to shine. With McLarnon’s warm, tactile production capturing every detail, the album honours their psych-rock roots while opening up into bold new spaces; hook-laden, atmospheric, and fiercely honest.]
“The Valley, it offered a hand. I took it on one command; don’t you go sweet on me now…”
[Set in the atmospheric expanse of Cork’s Lee Valley, “Lay There With You” is a cinematic, slow-burning duet layered with jangling guitars, Hammond organ swells, and hypnotic rhythm, all unfolding into a stormy chorus that aches with yearning: “All I can do is lay there with you, hoping this rain it will ease.” The track builds to reveal a descending and defiant riff charged with rock and roll emotion.]
[Since forming in 2010, The Altered Hours have become one of Ireland’s most vital underground bands, praised for their immersive sound, visceral live energy, and dedication to the independent spirit. Across two albums and a string of EPs on celebrated indie labels like A Recordings, Penske, and Art For Blind, the band has forged a distinct voice within the European alternative scene, at once fuzz-drenched, emotionally raw, and impossible to pin down.]
[They’ve shared stages with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pop Group, and members of Spacemen 3, and earned the admiration of peers like Fontaines D.C., who invited them to join their European and UK tours, including stops at The Bataclan, Paradiso, and Alexandra Palace. Guitarist Cathal Mac Gabhann has also stepped in as live guitarist for Fontaines D.C., touring with the band across Japan and Australia.]
[Now signed to Pizza Pizza Records, The Altered Hours step into a new phase. Their forthcoming self-titled album channels the spark of their revered live shows, while allowing a new emotional depth to shine. With McLarnon’s warm, tactile production capturing every detail, the album honours their psych-rock roots while opening up into bold new spaces; hook-laden, atmospheric, and fiercely honest.]
NEW ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 26TH VIA PIZZA PIZZA RECORDS
So I look forward to the album drop and I hope they tour in my neck of the woods because "Lay There With You" is imprinted in my brain. It is a perfectly rendered track, the girl / boy vocal track, two voices as one is a potent thing. I totally adore the vocal attack here, breathless and passionate.
Hell yeah.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://soundcloud.com/alteredhours
https://www.youtube.com/user/thealteredhours
https://www.instagram.com/the_altered_hours/
https://www.facebook.com/thealteredhours
https://x.com/TheAlteredHours
The Altered Hours are a 5 piece alt-rock group from Cork, Ireland. Their third studio album is set for release on September 26th 2025.
The Altered Hours, Cork Ireland, indie rock, busker punk, folk rock, abstractions, subversive, communal, rebel rock, "Lay There With You" (Official Video), politico rock, singer-songwriter, acoustic folk, self titled album,
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