EP Review: It’s A Hell of An Age (2026)~ Madra Salach
I am so excited to rave about this record to you all for the next two or three minutes. With Saint Paddy’s less than two weeks away, I was deep-diving into the Irish music scene, trying to curate a special Irish-focused set for my radio show (Basement Frequency with DJ Martian every Saturday at 7 a.m. on KWVA 88.1 FM Eugene, if you even care...) when I stumbled across the song “I Was Just a Boy” by a band called Madra Salach. The only way I could describe it was an epic Shakespearean ballad. Upon clicking on their profile, I saw they had just released a record last month—matter of fact, it was their only record. I was biking to class, so I thought, what the hell, this sounds cool, let me throw it on.
Holy shit.
Madra Salach, the six-piece Irish folk traditional band out of Dublin, released their debut EP, It’s a Hell of an Age, at the end of January. Composed of Paul Banks singing, Adam Cullen playing guitar, Dara Duffy on drums, Jack Martin playing mandolin, tin whistle, and synth, Maxime Arnold on harmonium, and Jack Lawlor on bass. Ran out of breath just typing that. This record is brilliantly haunting. Madra Salach writes Irish traditional folk songs with a modern twist, crafting an epic tale out of every song on the EP. Listening to this masterpiece felt so surreal on the first listen. The first track, “Blue & Gold,” is so intense. Beginning with an eerie harmonium and then vocalist Paul Banks’ gravelly vocals, this song is just magnificent and sets the tone for the rest of the record.
“Spancil Hill,” the second song on the EP, is an Irish traditional originally composed by Michael Considine (1850–1873). It is a song about the struggle of Irish emigrants and their longing for a better home. The cover by Madra Salach feels medieval, mythic, and just as powerful today as it was centuries ago. With the evocative vocals of Banks, Jack Martin on tin whistle, and the heavy drums of Dara Duffy, the cover—traditionally very acoustic—evokes a sense of Irish pride even if you don’t share any Irishness whatsoever.
“I Was Just a Boy,” a story of the tragedies that come with growing up. The song builds, drums getting louder, and so do the vocals. The vocals become angrier as the song drones on, really speaking to the angstiness of the song. Just epic.
My favorite song of the EP is the fourth and second-to-final song of the record, “The Man Who Seeks Pleasure.” This song is just painfully beautiful. “I knelt down to kiss you, licked the sugar off the cane.” It’s raw, it evokes emotion, and the lyrics are expressive and heavy. This song really reminded me of “Two-Headed Boy” by Neutral Milk Hotel. It was quiet when it needed to be quiet and loud as hell when it needed to be. Banks’ ability to gauge his vocals along with the crescendoing of the bass and the percussion arriving at about the three-minute mark is really impressive and nails you right in the heart. “I’m lying here naked, I am drenched from the rain. Well, the man who seeks pleasure is the man who seeks pain.” Jesus. The song finishes up with the faint sound of rain falling in the distance. Seriously, one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard.
For the fifth and final track of this wonderfully Irish EP, Madra Salach puts a bow on their debut record with another Irish traditional, “Murphy Can Never Go Home,” originally written by Irish activist and songwriter Mick Curry. The song tells the tale of a blue-collar Irish emigrant living in England, longing for the return to his home of Ireland and working himself to death. The most acoustic song on the record, it feels very unpolished and raw, sounding like it was recorded in their living room. I really like having this song finish off the record.
After buying myself a Guinness and listening to this album again, I can most certainly say this is my favorite release of 2026 so far. The band is young, unique, and proud. The idea of turning traditional folk native to your country and putting a modern twist on it is really digestible and feels intimate—especially as an American who has never been to Ireland. Felt like I was in the room having a beer with them the whole time.
Treat yerself and give this debut EP by Madra Salach a listen. Either I will be going to Ireland real soon to see these guys, or they must come to Oregon.
The ball is in your park, lads.