By Andrew Benzinger

Despite Ireland’s location on the opposite shore from Liverpool, a popular four man band from the humble town of Mullingar, Ireland proves that Beatles country isn’t the only hotbed for fresh rock. Alt rock group The Academic is busy taking over the British Isles and abroad with their new EP, Acting My Age. With a style inspired by The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol, their sound echoes the shades of rock and post-punk that populated the early-2000’s music scenes of the US and UK. Members Craig Fitzgerald (lead guitar, vocals), Dean Gavin (drums), and brothers Matthew (guitar) and Stephen Murtagh (bass) have bonded together over their love of rock, new wave, and hilarious Nicholas Cage movies - as Dean explained in our interview with The Academics, “we’ve kind of been obsessed with Cage’s greatest and worst movies… and our favorite has to be The Wicker Man for his absolutely, beautifully terrible acting performance”. Their 2018 album Tales from the Backseat made quite a mark, as some of their most popular work like “Bear Claws” originated from it and dubbed it rock anthems on par with the work of The Strokes.

 If any fans were worried that their new EP Acting My Age woudn’t strike as good a chord, they have little to worry about. Opening song “Anything Could Happen” and the album’s title song “Acting My Age” have been released previously as singles, and they set the tone and style of the simultaneously poppy and introspective EP well. While still Strokes-ish at heart, the band is clearly moving in new, interesting directions with the chill but passionate “Unspoken” and especially the solemn final track “Them” in which Craig whips out an acoustic guitar and delivers a slow, heart-felt performance. Despite these ruminative twists, the EP still boasts their signature energetic beats and lyrics. Track five, “Happy Hour”, isn’t a riddle; it’s about a fun night at the pub - “Welcome to the happy hour! You know it’s two for one. The night is young and so am I”. “Happy Hour” comes chock full of upbeat, dynamic guitar chords and Dean’s ambitious beats and fills, elevating it to a dance-worthy bop. The Murtagh brothers expressed their love for the similarly bright “Sunroof”, the fourth track on Acting My Age. As Stephen said, “it’s got a lot of movement. It’s kinda funky. It’s probably my favorite to perform.” 

As far as British Pop goes, its hard to say if The Academic will achieve the same kind of long lasting success as bands like The Beatles have, but Acting My Age is certainly a step in the right direction. While they maintain the same upbeat, cheerful vibe that their career has been grounded in, it is both exciting and refreshing to hear the band branch off into new territory with some of their more introspective songs. It will be interesting to see what direction the band takes next and what shape and form their next work will take.