It’s not too often you hear an album that is essentially a soundtrack to a book, but Theme from the Now Now Express goes hand in hand with John Fleming’s recent novel of the same name. As lyricist and vocalist of the Dublin band The Prongs, Fleming’s lyric sheet is littered with references to both Dublin and the Irish diaspora in 1980s London, as per the setting of his fictional story.
When paired with Niall Toner’s melodic compositions, it makes for an intriguing listen. Acts such as John Cooper Clarke and The Fall are clear influences on Fleming’s spoken-word narrative, while the soundtrack gently clatters through new wave, postpunk and early indie, with the excellent Fake Samuel Pepys recalling the likes of Orange Juice, The Pastels and even Dublin’s own A-House as Fleming revels in wordplay while painting a wry portrait of Irish immigrants.
Amid the sophisticated melancholy are glimmers of dissatisfied vitriol; the pummelling gurgle of Kango Hammer is a highlight, as is the strident, slinky rock of MiddleMarch 17. The loose improv of Brain Drain proffers an alternative take on WH Auden’s Night Train, and the atonal wheeze of strings on Drowning Is What Water Dreams is deliciously unsettling. Call it a soundtrack, a companion piece or whatever you like: as a stand-alone record, there is plenty of material here to engage with, too.
The Prongs play Upstairs at Whelan’s, in Dublin, on Thursday, November 16th
