Album Review: BODIES Return With Long-Awaited Sophomore Album ‘Ores’

The amount of amazing music coming out of Ireland at the moment is staggering, and the new album from Dublin based BODIES is no exception. The post-punk-alt-rockers shine on their second album Ores – bringing polished recordings that keep a raw sense of energy and an emotive, thoughtful musicality. 

Released seven years after their debut, the album is a potent and deeply personal document of both political commentary and private turmoil. Across eleven tracks of Ores, BODIES fuse brooding post-punk intensity with tight, math-rock-esque rhythms and indie-rock undertones. From the angular, moody opener ‘Health’, which brings an essence of new wave, to the blend of gothic rock and indie undertones on ‘Big Long Nothing’ and ‘Stubber’, to the shoegaze approach of ‘No Safe Harbour, and even the unexpected electronic flourishes of ‘Acid Brick’, the band showcase a wide reaching, genre blurring yet cohesive sound. 

Both cathartic and confrontational, rich with texture, and underscored by an experimental bent that never strays far from emotional, atmospheric core. Much like their fellow Irish riser Pebbledash, the bands sound ultimately conjures elements of post-punk and shoegaze into something which doesn’t quite fit comfortably in either.

Frontman David Anthony describes Ores as “a raw examination of collapse and endurance,” written during a time of significant personal health challenges and increasing social unrest in Ireland. The songs are haunted by the spectres of homelessness, institutional failure, and emotional burnout, yet they refuse to descend into nihilism. Instead, they offer space—space to listen, to reflect, and to bear witness.

The road to Ores has been anything but straightforward. Following their acclaimed debut, a cycling accident derailed the band’s momentum, pushing Anthony to work solo during the pandemic. But the eventual return of the full live outfit, with a refined sound and renewed energy has seen BODIES re-establish themselves on the Irish music scene. Recent high-profile appearances, including performances at Electric Picnic and a cameo in Apple TV’s Bad Sisters, have only heightened anticipation for this release.

Ores highlights BODIES potential, highlighting the bands daring, beautifully nuanced soundscaping, and yet, still retaining an emotionally raw and honest heart.

Listen to the album below: