Walking on Cars – Everything this Way (2016)

One year. This is pretty much how late I am for Walking on Cars. Almost two weeks ago, a friend tweeted me about the band, sending me their Speeding Cars video.

As I often do two things at a time, I kept on working on my project while listening to the video instead of listening and watching it. It’s often been the best way for me to find a good music band and not a good-looking music band.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against a good looking guy or girl but when it comes to music, the only thing that matters to me are music notes, lyrics and a good spirit.

If they can surprise me? Better. If they make me dance in my kitchen, with my headphones on? Even Better.

Which one of these levels did Walking on Cars reach? Well, we’ll see but first let’s get to know the band.

The 5-piece band was formed in Dingle, Ireland. The Cranberries, The Corrs, Snow Patrol, The Script, The Boomtown Rats or, of course, U2 are just a few that helps you believe in Ireland’s children when it comes to music. Then you find out that Walking on Cars was apparently first formed out of… boredom. Add to that that the band’s name means actually… nothing: it’s just something Evan Hadnett – the band’s drummer – said in the heat of the moment when they were trying to find a name. So much for a career plan, eh?

Hey wait, don’t leave yet because there’s actually more than meets the eye with these five.

First, living in a small town (1500 souls… ish. At the most.), nearly isolated from the rest of the world, may indeed lead to a few moments of boredom but you’ll find yourself a bunch of good friends much more easily than in the crowded 8 million-people of London. And that’s what they are.

Second, just because you picked a name that means nothing doesn’t mean you’re not passionate, driven and hard-working. And that’s what they are. Again.

After deciding who’d play which instrument (‘cos 3 guitarists with no bassist was apparently a bit “too much” :D ), the band isolated themselves in a house, far from any distractions: no Internet, no television, no mobile phone coverage, no transport. All they did was focus on what brought them there: music. Just music. Some may think this episode was probably how and where their foundations were built.

With music in their pockets, what was next? Spreading it to the world, of course! Well… Ireland first. One good opportunity came along the way with the Red Bull Bedroom Jam competition… which they won in 2012, leading to the recording of As We Fly South, the band’s very first album, produced, engineered and mixed by Tom McFall.

The band got recognition in their homeland and were soon playing a show in front of fans and music labels executives… ensuring themselves a record deal with Universal and an EP, released in 2014. Then they took their time, building themselves a fan base outside Ireland before releasing, in early 2016, the album I’m about to talk to you about. So enough band history now and more music talk…

The album opens with Catch Me If You Can, exploring those moments in life when we do not feel so confident or strong and showing that finally there’s no shame in it cos… that’s just what life is. The song is also wisely chosen as first track and sets up the sound that we’re about to get familiar with…

Then comes that crazy tune that is Two Stones… Uplifting melody to which you ABSOLUTELY can’t stay insensitive while Sheehy’s singing about… WAIT, WHAT?! The song explores a quite dark and sad subject – as also described in the video - and I’m just having a big smile on my face?! Well I guess this is the moment of surprise provided to me by the band. Step one, surprising me: done.

Don’t Mind Me is a nice follow-up to Two Stones. Our hero seems to find a little redemption and finally see life in a brighter day…

To this point, I began to have a feeling that I’ve had already experienced in 2012 when I wrote my article about Imagine Dragons. Back then, the band had only released an EP and not started touring Europe yet but I sensed a little something in that EP, a certain something that happened at the end of each song… the feeling that there was something worth the shot, worth the faith. Walking on Cars and Imagine Dragons are different but when it comes to music, your guts can’t fool you… After listening to the first three songs of Everything This Way, I had the feeling that I could put some faith in the Irish band.

Was I wrong? Did the nine songs left proved me wrong?

Oh no. No, no. Definitely not.

Speeding Cars was sort of a first date with the band and it definitely triggered something: that dramatic music, those touching lyrics… All that was there was made to make me fall in love. And it worked. 2:27, the intense thrill and 2:37 that was done. Because 10 seconds within a song are enough to fall in love.

Flying High Falling Low, As We Fly South (perfect ending for the album!) and - especially - Love Back Down definitely made their way to the soft part of my personality as well. I definitely understood the meaning of Hand in Hand as I remembered those rare moments when it only took me a few minutes to feel good with someone I had just met. Sometimes, life’s just made of crazy natural beautiful moments… Tick Tock and Always Be With You, with their addictive rhythms, stayed inside my head for hours after first listening to them…

Did Walking On Cars get me to step two? You know, the part where I get up in my kitchen, dancing and not caring at all that anyone could actually see me? Yep, they did. More than once. Ship Goes Down, Hand in Hand and At Gunpoint got me there… So step two: done!

Patrick Sheehy’s voice has clearly a great potential and I’m sure that in time, we’ll see an even wider range of his voice abilities… We already have a few hints of it on Don’t Mind Me, Hand in Hand and As We Fly South, for example. In many ways, his voice reminded me of one of my favourite singers, AKA Tom Smith, of the British band Editors. Smith has this incredible capacity of providing deep notes and yet be able to impress us by singing some higher pitched-notes. Sheehy’s voice (Pa, as his friends call him) has got a more raspy tone that makes it different from Smith – and as much enjoyable - but I have the feeling that the shy young man of Dingle will keep impressing us in the future…

A band is not only made of a singer, so let me introduce you to the other members of Walking On Cars. Ladies first: Sorcha Durham is the pianist of the band and only girl in this very male universe. Then we have Dan Devane at the lead guitar, Paul Flannery playing bass and Evan Hadnett behind the drums. Walking On Cars is one of those bands where you can clearly hear – while listening to the album – that each member bring his/her talent to make each song a good ensemble of music. Open you ears to the sound of e-ve-ry song and you’ll find out that you can clearly hear the piano. Or the bass. Or the drums. Or the lead guitar. Sometimes, an instrument sound is lost in the process of mixing or arrangements made and I hate that. To me, a musician is as important as a singer and I love the sound of instruments (well maybe not the accordion but that’s another story). I got a pretty good share of that while listening to Everything This Way and I sure can’t wait to get a second round of that from all of them…

Because yes, readers, there WILL be a second round as the band recently announced on Twitter that they’ve started writing for the next album.

Oh and one last thing : one (very!) good thing about music is that it travels through time, sometimes through many decades to – eventually – get to you, to any of us someday. Robert Johnson recorded his first song in 1936, the Beatles split almost 50 years but we can still enjoy the sound of their music today. I’m one year late for the Walking on Cars but after all, isn’t it better late… than never? I’m glad Elodie put them in my way because it was definitely no waste of time. It may even be the beginning of a beautiful music love story… They have one show planned in my native Belgium and are lucky to play in Ancienne Belgique - probably the greatest venue in Belgium – but since it’s a sold out show, I won’t be there this time to enjoy their live skills. But guys – and girl! – be sure that next time you’re in Belgium, I’ll… catch you if I can! ;)

Walking on Cars website: http://www.walkingoncars.com
Walking on Cars Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WalkingOnCars
Walking on Cars Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalkingOnCars

Walking on Cars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkingoncars

Last word: a big thumb up to the artist that worked on the cover of the album. Beautiful mix of black and white with touch of colour. Open to any interpretation of yours…

Tracklist :

Catch Me If You Can

Two Stones

Don’t Mind Me

Ship Goes Down

Speeding Cars

Love Backs Down

Always Be With You

Hand in Hand

At Gunpoint

Tick Tock

Flying High Falling Low

As We Fly South