Each year, Fourth Best recognises an Irish record that deserves a bigger place in the end-of-year conversation. It might not be the best album of the year. But it might be the fourth. Today, what the future sounds like, and the groundswell that will take us there, plus a brief trip to Cork.
an interlude before the fourth best album of the year piece
reflecting on Rory Sweeney's solo return to the boundary of the silly and the sublime, live on stage at the Button Factory in our second public Q&A of the year
the future of our past, fourth best's original sin, a manifesto in reverse, and one of 2025's best albums: Carving The Stone by For Those I Love
talking his debut album, the changing shape of curation, the value of events ranging from Clash at the Quays to Blue Niall's Oisín. "I’m giving it five years: the thing a young person says is their favourite thing will be Irish. Without a doubt, they’ll say their favourite shit is from home."
a review of sorts about the All Together Now weekend; nothing new, but everything bigger than before
on the search for home in Irish music and the spectre of death behind its shoulder: "dead towns" and "dying cities"; what's next for RÓIS and For Those I Love and my favourite Irish album of the year so far, Ithaca by Lullahush
Gigs
highlights of the year so far featuring Cold Summit, Peter O'Sullivan, Rita Lynn, OUCH™, and the many gigs that I wish I covered sooner
A follow-up to my recent exploration of the world of AI generated music
featuring: chats with AI artist "Kawaii Hoe" and the journalist who felt "duped" by them! north kerry noise! a björk quote! a niche trading card game! indonesian tiktoks! the choice music prize! techbro scum! over 8,000 words! charli xcx! 14% of all recorded music in history! JPEGMAFIA! father ted!
In the first guest post for the site, Matthew Xavier Corrigan reflects on five entire years of cataloguing the music he listened to, tracing an outline of the life he lived.
How far would you go to create a total work of art, when the world wants you to be something else? Catch The Dusk twists the rules of music's zero-sum game – we must not let it be punished as a result.