Irish alternative rock has truly gained a new lease of life over the last decade, with bands like Fontaines D.C. and Inhaler bringing on a revolution of Irish music and taking over headline slots at festivals and venues across the globe. Rising up alongside this new plethora of Irish alternative bands, and taking inspiration from acts like The Murder Capital, and Gurriers, are The Drive, who released their latest single ‘shelley.’ on 20 June 2025.
During the five years since the release of their debut single, ‘Cigarettes and Lemonade’, The Drive have been gaining steady traction in both the Irish and British music scenes, with their 2020 single ‘Mossbawn’ setting a precedent for their signature shoegaze sound. With gorgeous vocals from frontman Eoin Murphy, The Drive have undeniably sparked a revival of a dying genre.
The band’s latest single, ‘shelley.’ is no different, and undeniably the strongest contribution yet to their ever-growing catalogue of heavy-hitting numbers.
‘shelley.’ opens with a lilting guitar riff, with a slow buildup of percussion before Eoin begins his elegant vocal performance, complimenting flawlessly the opening line: “picturesque, and ever so perfect”. The beginning half of the track perfectly establishes the emotions of longing and devastation within the lyrics, a twisted tribute to a lover, no longer.
This essence of restrained emotion is however shattered as Eoin is no longer able to restrain himself, letting rage overcome him as he reminisces over how they “looked so perfect” with gradually building undertones of aggression rising throughout the track to give a high-energy performance as he expresses his undying hatred and jealousy towards “Shelley’s new boyfriend”.
Murphy continues, howling into the microphone with his fittingly-industrial backing of distorted guitars and heavy drums, as he perfectly encapsulates the feeling of yelling into the void, and having to come to terms with replacement and jealousy.
‘shelley’ reaches its climax just before it stumbles back into the lilting riff from earlier, as the track reaches its conclusion. The new single is undeniably a strong performance from the band, and has certainly excited fans and newcomers who eagerly await their upcoming shows in Cork, London, and Dublin throughout June and July this year.
For those looking for a new shoegaze fix, The Drive are certainly a promising contender.
Words by George Connell
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