Cable Boy - Forever (2026) Hi-Res

Dublin five-piece Cable Boy arrive with their long-awaited debut Forever, a record that feels both like a culmination of the band’s work so far and, more so, a clear statement of intent.Having steadily built a reputation among Ireland’s emerging acts, the band lean confidently into that momentum here, delivering a project that balances atmosphere with urgency, borrowing from dreampop, shoegaze and indie on a 13-track album which captures moments of all three.

Album opener, PLCD, sets the tone gradually unravelling from the dotted sprawl of field recordings and fuzzy guitar squeals into a tight soundscape of chorus tinged guitars, boxy drums and driving bass. As the cool delivery of the vocals enters, the band’s blend of driving indie and atmospheric dreampop aesthetics is brought to the fore, exemplified by the twinkling synths, ultimately capturing the band’s self-labelled “Goth-Disco” aesthetic.

Track two Lets Go leans further into the dreampop realm with floating etherealism comparable to Cocteau Twins with smatterings of Slowdive and Bloc Party through the vocal delivery. Icarus continues this approach whilst bringing a more obvious shoegaze feel closer to bdrmm, thanks in part to the darker, more mysterious tone of the track, which builds through boxy radio-filtered vocal cuts to an explosive and vibrant climax.