Glass Pawns Make One Hell of a First Impression With Shame
Dublin grunge duo Glass Pawns might only have two members, but they make enough noise to fill a room twice over. Made up of multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jamie Dean and drummer Gary McGuinness, the pair have taken their love of 90s alternative rock, thrown in some modern hooks and come up with something that hits seriously hard.
And while they're still relatively new on the scene, Glass Pawns haven't exactly been sitting around waiting for things to happen. They've already opened for Fangclub at Whelan's, supported God Alone at The Workman's Club and even made the trip across the water for their first London gig at The Hope and Anchor.
A Big Sound From Just Two Lads
With a few decent gigs under their belts, the next step was getting some music out into the world. The lads have been busy working on their debut EP, Withdrawal
, which is due to land in 2027 alongside their first headline show. Thankfully, we don't have to wait until then to hear what they're all about.
Their debut single, Shame
, is a cracking introduction to the band and wastes little time showing what Glass Pawns can do. It's loud, gritty and packed with the kind of riffs that make you want to turn the volume up another notch. There's a definite 90s grunge influence running through it, but it never feels like two lads simply trying to recreate the past.
Heavy Riffs, Pounding Drums and Plenty of Bite
The guitars are thick, distorted and right up front, doing a lot of the heavy lifting while McGuinness absolutely batters the drums behind them. There's a real punch to the whole thing, and it's hard to believe all that noise is coming from just two musicians. They certainly know how to make the most of what they've got.
What makes Shame
work, though, is that it isn't just a wall of distorted guitars and pounding drums. Dean brings a strong melodic edge to the vocals, giving the track a hook that sticks around long after it's finished. It's that balance between the rough and the catchy that makes the song worth coming back to.
There's More to Shame
Than Just the Noise
Behind all the distortion, there's a pretty serious subject at the heart of the song. Shame
is about facing up to your worst behaviour, taking responsibility for the things you've done and asking why some people find that so difficult. It's not exactly light-hearted stuff, but it gives the track something more to chew on.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Jamie Dean explains:
A huge part of recovery is learning to own your past, including the parts you're ashamed of. Writing this song, I started wondering why that's so hard for people, especially the ones with the most to answer for. 'Shame' came out of that question.
It's an interesting idea to build a debut single around, particularly when so many bands are happy to play it safe with their first release. Glass Pawns clearly have something they want to say, and wrapping that message in a big, dirty grunge track makes it all the more effective.
Final Verdict
For a debut single, Shame
is a seriously solid start. Glass Pawns have the riffs, the hooks and enough energy to give plenty of bigger bands a run for their money. With Withdrawal on the way in 2027 and a first headline show in the pipeline, there's plenty to look forward to. If this is what the lads can do with their first release, we're looking forward to hearing what comes next.
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