Irish indie-pop quartet, The Academic share ‘Sitting Pretty’, their first full album to be released via EMI.

★★★★★★★★★☆

As this writer knows, navigating life in your 20’s is hard. From the pressures of what a career will look like to uncertainties and the ever-shifting sense of self, it’s not an easy one.

That is what the new album, ‘Sitting Pretty’, is all about. It’s something to admire as the four-piece have always been known for honest lyricism, but none quite like this. As a fan of the band, this writer has fallen in love with the realities of life that are brought to life in this body of work.

Vulnerable songwriting is where the band are most comfortable. The thirteen-track production allows the listener to truly sit down and enter their feelings.

The talented band have been able to find the fun, romance, and sadness about life all in one album. That is what allows listeners to love the quartet even more. To finish off this piece, it’s best to allow the lads themselves to describe the album and what it is all about.

“It’s about the entrance into true adulthood and how that can alienate you from yourself, making you feel like you’re playing a supporting role in your own life,” the band explains. “In one moment feeling 100% certain about everything, only to become overwhelmed with feelings of aimlessness and lack of direction in the next.”

Words: Josh Abraham

Image Credit: Ed Cooke