The Pale
'Butterfly'
The Pale were overlooked.
It's as simple as that.
'Butterfly' is simple and full
of strange phrases
but still does the business
in terms of emotion.
Wry, witty unsung,
but still a pop song.
A strange if hard to follow
slice of oddity
that won its listener
not on the merits
of the normal pop tune
but on the grounds
of the unusual and twisted.
The Pale
Elizabeth In Rags
(1969 Records)
Hot Press
18th of May 2007
1969 Records seems to be
becoming a home for unappreciated
Irish musical gems,
The Pale sound as though
they're revelling in working alongside
Couse and Pugwash.
Unlikely to bother the mainstream
in a million years,
'Elizabeth In Rags' is still an old school
Irish indie belter
and proof that there's life
in some of the old dogs yet.
The Pale hail from Dublin and formed in 1990.
They started out with a drum machine, mandolin, bass, acoustic guitar and vocals. In 1992 they released an award winning debut album on A&M Records called "Here's one we made earlier". The debut album and live shows received critical praise locally and internationally.
The music they have produced over the years is often described as eclectic and quirky.
You can often hear a hint of eastern european, reggae, ska, bluegrass, world music and pop.
Over the course of the last few years The Pale have collaborated with a number of different artists and their main strength as a group is that they always think outside the box..
The mainstay of the group has remained to be the unique sound conjured up by Matthew Devereux and Shane Wearen.
Recently the group have added Darren Flynn on Bass Cathy Byrne on Piano and Aidan O'Grady on Drums to the line-up and they have also added a three piece horn section for certain occasions.
News 2008
The Pale have just returned from a very successful trip to the Czech Republic after playing a number of dates (including festivals) over there.
Introducing for the first time a set songs from the critically acclaimed “The Contents of a Shipwreck” to a European audience.
"The Contents Of A Shipwreck is a welcome return by an oft missed, much needed band" John Brereton
"File under Welcome Back" Jackie Hayden
"As comebacks go,then,The Contents Of A Shipwreck is one of constant, delightful suprise" Eamon de Paor
"The Pale are back with a new album that adds even more to their reputation" Stephen Rapid
New Single
A brand spanking new Pale single “Chocolate Factory” b/w “Lady Gregory” is available for free digital download at www.thepale.ie and www.myspace.com/thepaleie.
The tracks will also be available in limited CD format from the shop on the 1969 Record site (www.1969records.com) and through Road Records.
Classic Pale, in both its quirkiness and pop sensibility, Chocolate Factory should form the basis to a good summer for the band.
Here is what Hot Press had to say...
The Pale
"Chocolate Factory" (1969 Records)
An exotic Mediterranean flavour permeates this catchy little acoustic ditty from the always-enjoyable Pale.
After a well-received return last year with "The Contents Of A Shipwreck", it seems yet more new material is in the works - and if this single is anything to go by, we could be in the middle of something of a golden age for Pale fanatics.
Stephen Errity
Hot Press
The band are presently putting finishing touches to a new album called "Proper Order".
There are also rumours of a collection of Pale music and tracks for later on in the year.
As anyone who has seen the recent live shows will know, there is still a great affection for earlier tracks such as “Butterfly”, “Mother Nature is a Man”, “Dogs with no Tails” and “Shut up Venus” and notwithstanding the long unavailability of these tracks on CD, this is something that the band are hoping to address in the coming months, as well as including some more
experimental and even more rare material.
Check out www.thepale.ie for all upcoming tour and release details as well as on the 1969 Records site www.1969records.com .
For Information / Interview requests
contact Berube Communications
info@berubecommunications.com
phone 0872442695
RECENT REVIEWS
Photo by Cathal Dawson
The Contents Of A Shipwreck
(1969 Records)
Totally Dublin
July 2007
The prodigal sons return.Way back in the early 1990's The Pale was the band of the moment, when the carbon footprint of the London A&R departments rose dramatically over Dublin and deservedly so.Killer tunes like I Am The Butterfly and Dogs With No Tails were pop nuggets and the 4 piece duly landed a deal with A&M, had hits in Ireland, France and Turkey with the above, and a hit album Here's One We Made Earlier. Unfortunately it never really happened beyond that but their unique sound that incorporated mandolins, guitars, a slew of ethnic instruments and electronic percussion never dated so maybe now is their time.Whatever the career intentions it's clear Matthew Devereux (vocals) and Shane Wearen (Mandolin) are having fun with their music.The Contents Of A Shipwreck is a party album of sorts; full of colour with infectious melodies and dance beats that sound like The Beat covering Tom Waits all underpinned by Devereux's sharp lyrical style. Always one of the most literate and outspoken of Irish writers Devereux shines again with aselection of urban tales swathed in a quasi marine/religious shtick that allows him to indulge in lyrical flights of fancy while digging his angst-dripping knife into the soft underbelly of contemporary Ireland.Wearen's playing throughout is a joy as is the superb contribution of Colm Quearney (a.k.a Q) on guitars and bass, the two providing the main rhythmic thrust of a record that calypso's over the Caribbean seas down to the tango waters of the Southern Hemisphere. The overall effect can be quite theatrical at especially when the gypsy rhythms don a Nick Cave cloak of darkness as on the scurvy ridden Steadfast Captain and the superb, sultry highlight Joan Of Arc On Broadway.An album packed with singles - Elizabeth In Rags, The New Resistance, Church Of Bones et al - The Contents Of A Shipwreck is a welcome return by an oft missed, much needed band.
John Brereton
The Contents Of A Shipwreck
(1969 Records)
Hot Press
31st of May 2007
Back in the 1990s,The Pale were hailed as Ireland's next big thing, adored for their quirky blend of European rhythms, mandolins, a drum machine, bald heads, a bag of esoteric tunes and Matthew Devereux's distinctive vocals.Frustrated by record company woes, among other things,it didn't last and they called it a day.Now, with an album deal under their belts, the core twosome of Devereux and Shane wearen are back in earnest,supported by a revolving line-up that includes guitar maestro Colm Quearney.
Regular jaunts to the Balkans have turned them on further to the ethnic music of the region, while the band also continue their love affair with ska and reggae.The trailer single 'Elizabeth In Rags' is a bit of a Dexy's-style knees-up, driven by Wearen's mandolin and it works well, while the disturbing 'Steadfast Captain' would fit snugly in the Leonard Cohen canon (and that's meant as a big compliment).
Musically it's impressively diverse.There's the lilting reggae of the title track, a tune called 'Church Of Bones' which is as bluegrass as Kentucky, while the sumptuous 'Joan Of Arc On Broadway' is achingly beautiful in a sultry Brechtian kind of way.Meanwhile, there's a hint of foreboding about 'The Serpent Song' in which Devereux waxes lyrical about not going into the forest and staying"out from under those dark canopies".While there's nothing likely to eclipse the might of 'Butterfly' or 'Dogs With No Tails',There's a sturdiness to the new material that wasn't as evident the first time around.File under Welcome Back.
7 out of 10
Jackie Hayden
The Contents Of A Shipwreck
(1969 Records)
The Star
June 6th 2007
The title of The Pale's first album in Donkey's years may sound a tad sombre, but rest assured that the contents here are more sunken treasure than
washed-up wreckage.
The lads-now reduced to a duo-have a devoted following built up since they formed back in 1990.
The long-awaited comeback proves more than worthy of their legacy and continues their love of 'ethnic fusion' and the sounds of ska.
This is a more diverse Pale however,with stylistic leaps throughout,from the beautiful 'Joan of Arc on Broadway' to uplifting single 'Elizabeth In Rags'.
It's good to have them back, even if they never really went away.
4 out of 5 Stars
The Contents Of A Shipwreck
(1969 Records)
Metro Magazine
30th of May 2007
As the cult duo behind early 1990s hits Butterfly and Dogs with No Tails, Matthew Devereux and Shane Wearen always walked the line
between quirky popsters and inane novelty group.
Now they're back, with a new album and a new, more sophisticated sound.Devereux in particular, seems to have renounced the role of zany entertainer,emerging as a singer of unexpected depth and nuance.
This is clear from the single Elizabeth In Rags, a brisk folk tune that sees Wearen thunking his mandolin as if it were a heavy metal guitar and Devereux delivering a stark vocal.
Later, they slow the tempo-The New Resistance is the sort of wrenching, torch song you may have believed The Pale entirely incapable of writing.As comebacks go,then,The Contents Of A Shipwreck is one of constant, delightful suprise.
4 out of 5 stars
Eamon de Paor
The Contents Of A Shipwreck
(1969 Records)
Lonesome Highway Magazine
Volume 2 Number 8
July 2007
The Pale are back with a new album that adds even
more to their reputation. It has a more understated
sound from the trio who mix acoustic instruments
with a fuller band sound that is,sometimes, rounded
out by trumpet, keyboards and whistles.
The songs are literate and lyrical, tinged with
theatricality.The title track has a nice reggae lilt that
makes it immediately memorable. Another highlight
is the European touches on Joan Of Arc On
Broadway.
This is an album that should be
investigated if one not strictly within this magazine’s
remit, but that hasn’t stopped us recommending albums in the past.
ah jez lads missed an brog gig taught it was in the middle of july for some reason i was planning on bringing a crows for a mystery gig and all... shit !!! well dingle it is in august so ;)
Alright there boys, was at the gig in the Brog last night, ye were amazing, hadn't seen ye in a few years, good luck with the rest of the shows......Ash
Alright Matt. The smell off that stage at the storehouse! You killed it! You killed it! Here's a video for my first radio single PEOPLE WALK AWAY. The link to it is http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=u7FVA7o4aMU
On Behalf of ELAVATOR,, I wud like to congratulate The Pale on a great performance of their rendition of A Boy Named Sue on Podge and Rodge on Tuesday night..... Keep up the good work.....
Read the Blog, very good! So what was the event you saw in Budapest that inspired you to write 'Black Raven Red Heart White Dove'. Last time I was in Budapest almost inspired me to write a novel :-o crazy place.
