MUSIC Vinnie’s TV return to Ballina

Vinnie’s TV are returning to Emmett’s in Ballina on Saturday, September 12, at 10pm. The gig is part of the band’s tour to promote the release of their new EP, ‘Photograph’.
The three-track EP follows up on the ‘Grapes and Ghosts’ album, released in 2014, which garnered critical acclaim in Europe and the US, and it marks the first of a series of mini releases. It’s a strategy that, according to frontman and songwriter Wade Lynch, is designed to keep things fresh and exciting. ‘Photograph’ is an apt title, a band being captured in a state of flux and transition.
Opening track ‘The Ocean’ kicks out the jams. A fusion of Led Zeppelin-style riff-based rock guitar with flute that wouldn’t be out of place on a Gil Scott Heron track. Dark and brooding, it signals a move away from the lush Americana of the previous album.
The distance grows even further as the band experiment with dance beats and sounds on the title track. ‘Photograph’ revolves around a hypnotic accordion riff, and a huge dollop of Ibiza-friendly, Santana-style guitar provides the other big musical hook. Vocally this is a sparse, ’90s style duet. A tale of heartbreak and breakup.  
The third track, ‘Elena’ returns to the country/ Americana tradition, bringing the listener on a lushly played journey through familiar Vinnie’s TV territory.
It’s been a great year for the band, who have been playing shows throughout Ireland while bouncing between Cork and Paris to record the EP. Now they’re Mayo bound. If Americana, rock and trad is your thing, head to Emmett’s to settle down in front of Vinnie’s TV – and don’t switch the channel.