The World’s End is the debut EP by Belfast band Madams Last Discovery (affectionately called “Madams” by their fans), released back in March. Yes, I could’ve reviewed this sooner, but in a way it keeps local music alive, after the initial hype for the release has died down.

The band’s Spotify describes them as a tyrannical mix of the Happy Mondays “on a three-week Belfast bar crawl, having run into David Byrne, Grian Chatten and the devil along the way.” They are comprised of frontman Flinn O’Grady, Nathan Shawe on lead guitar, Guigsy on bass (no, not the mysterious Guigsy from Oasis) and Fiontan McAleavey on drums.

This colourful description is an apt summary of the psychedelic post-punk band. Frontman Flinn O’ Grady delivers a half-singing/speaking style modelled on these references, with heaps of attitude. Musically, the EP displays a similar gritty, bass driven sound to these artists listed. The EP was produced by Darragh Tibbs at the Analogue Catalogue Studio.

The EP title is taken from the movie in the famous Cornetto Trilogy. O’Grady explains: 
“The title comes from the iconic movie in the Cornetto Trilogy, which in true Edgar Wright fashion, centres heavily on music. Our own sound echoes a lot of artists from the late ’80s and ’90s, so the title choice really ties in all of our inspirations, both new and old. Within the movie, the music takes on so many styles and we felt it really encapsulated our EP, as each song holds its own stylistically. We also snuck in the sample that introduces “Orange Juice” back into the end of our closing song, “Molotov,” which brought the entire project to a circular close.”

The four-track EP kicks off with the aforementioned “Orange Juice.” That sample is from ’50s movie, “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” with the chorus also being based on the Pinocchio quote, “I’ve got no strings on me.” This relates to having the shackles removed and feeling truly free. The track stomps in and introduces the heavy yet danceable grooves of the EP. It has a monster guitar riff and infectious chorus.

The second track “The Message” has a quirky and more melodic sound that I appreciate. The acoustic and slide guitar gives it a slight Beatles vibe, if they were performing at the end of the world (hence the fitting title of the EP) with a post-punk sheen.

The forceful kick of the opener comes back in spades on third track “Out Of Fashion.” The song has a glam-rock stomp similar to “Shoot The Runner” by Kasabian, who I can certainly hear as an influence, especially on the swaggering vocals. Along with ’70s and more recent post-punk bands like the Talking Heads and Fontaines D.C., the group is definitely inspired by bands of Kasabian’s ilk. They even supported ’90s Madchester band Inspiral Carpets recently in the Limelight in Belfast, which is impressive. I also enjoy the refrain of this song – it’s smart and draws the listener in.

O’Grady says that the band wanted to “highlight the constant divide-and-conquer methods being pulled by people in power” through the lyrics, “I’m pulling out my hair, with this TV glare, showing me you’re accusing the wrong man of stealing your welfare.” It’s an anthemic track that will certainly go down a storm in the passionate live sets of the band, where they have really cut their teeth.

All roads lead to the final track “Molotov,” which is over seven minutes long. The song takes the psychedelic sound of the EP to new heights. It starts off as a droning yet still danceable track, with a widescreen and immersive production. The use of violin/fiddle is also a nice feature of the track. It is both a nod to Ireland and adds to the otherworldly feel of the track. After a second swaggering chorus, the song changes tempo to a mad freakout, with the violin and other instruments going wild. I feel that this section starts to go on a bit, until it pulls back and changes tempo again. I then think this new section starts to go on but the song ends just in time!

I do have one personal criticism of the EP. For example, Oasis (an inspiration for the band) always had very melodic and uplifting songs right out of the gate. “Live Forever” and “Slide Away” stood alongside tough rockers like “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” and “Supersonic.” I think some songs like this would be nice to break up from the psychedelic riff-driven tracks. However, “The Message” does do this to an extent, with its more Beatles vibe and chord progression.

Overall, The World’s End is a promising start for this local band to me. It is full of swagger and groove, and the final track displays experimental psychedelic tendencies. Having seen them before, they are a force to be reckoned with live, and will only grow from here.