Georgina and Una McGeough may have grown up in Monaghan with a father who played in showbands, but their debut album is as sonically and geographically far removed from those beginnings as you could imagine. The identical twins, now based in New York, were galvanised into action after crossing paths with David Holmes several years back, contributing a cover of 10cc's I'm Not in Love to his Late Night Tales compilation in 2016.
Holmes produced and cowrote these songs, and his influence is audible on the sultry electronic strut of Come to the Water, the woozy off-kilter thud of Orbiting Slow and the general gauzy sheen of sound that crackles and shimmers throughout. At the same time, the McGeoughs’ gossamer voices weave a hypnotic spell and are integral to the record.
Telling Tales glistens and throbs like a mystical pop song, while The Mind’s Eye manages to embody both shades of Enya and a poppier version of Stereolab within five minutes. Elsewhere, the rhythmic patter, textured static and dreamy layers of vocals on the epic Testimony of Tears recalls Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil.
Some may find the repetitive nature of these songs a little frustrating, yet there’s both a comfort in the familiarity of this album and a foreboding sense of disquiet throughout.