NewDad’s debut album ‘Madra’, released only 20 months ago, made the Galway dream-pop band’s dreams come true. In the time since that record’s release, the former NME Cover stars have toured the world and gained acclaim from across the music world – including from their hero, The Cure’s Robert Smith. So, their second album should be a pretty cheery listen… right?
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Largely written before ‘Madra’ was released, ‘Altar’ isn’t quite bursting with joy. Instead, it finds singer and guitarist Julie Dawson deep in homesickness and trying to figure out if the band’s move to London to give them better access to opportunities to help them grow was all worth it. Here, Galway is the altar at which she’s worshipping, and the thing she’s had to sacrifice to experience the highs that the group’s debut led to.
Through the torment and the tension, she’s clearly working through on the record, ‘Altar’ is a beautiful portrait of working out what you’re willing to give up and how to keep pushing yourself forward despite the aching within you. While it would be easy for NewDad – completed by guitarist Sean O’Dowd and drummer Fiachra Parslow – to get bogged down in the misery and longing, there’s a sense of optimism that pierces through in places.
The atmospheric layers of ‘Mr Cold Embrace’ swell with hope, as Dawson calls back to her hometown: “Comfort me, save me / I’ll just keep praying”. There’s faith that the company and support of those around her can make things feel better on the gorgeous closer ‘Something’s Broken’: “Close my eyes, keep me distracted / Hold my hand so I can stand it”.
Forcing yourself to keep going through uncomfortable situations and emotions can only lead to growth, and there’s plenty of that for NewDad on ‘Altar’. The album sees the trio bringing in more pop-leaning instrumentals in places (the bouncing, hook-filled ‘Entertainer’) and dialling up the aggression in others. The latter forms a golden moment early in the record, with a one-two punch of ‘Roobosh’ – which finds Dawson yelling out her frustrations – and the buzzsaw gloom of ‘Misery’.
“I tell myself / That it’s everything I wanted,” Dawson sighs on the icy jangle of ‘Everything I Wanted’. It’s that desire that drives ‘Altar’, and by extension NewDad, forward – and increases the likelihood that the things they’ve given up and the distance they’ve put between themselves and their home will all pay off in the end.
Details
- Record label: Fair Youth
- Release date: September 19, 2025