Arco Arena – Ties (2026)
Arco Arena is the name of a four-piece Irish rock band from the coastal town of Dundalk. They took the name from an instrumental track by Cake, which came from the sports arena in their hometown of Sacramento, California. Arco Arena, which was demolished in 2022, lives on fittingly as a band that is simultaneously rockin’, funky, and dancey.
When was the last time you heard a rock band with an irresistible dance groove? Pick up Arco Arena’s debut album Ties and you surely will. Bassist Eoghan Maguire and guitarist Charlie Abbot take turns on lead vocals, bringing the contrast of a clear keening cry (Maguire) and a gritty growl (Abbot) as they lock in with Pauric McCrum on drums and Peter McCoy on guitar (both of whom contribute backing vocals) to create a tight and irresistible pocket.
Ties is an absolute treat for anyone whose body moves beyond the monolithic limitations of modern rock, or who likes the idea of vocal contrast but is completely over the absurd extremes to which metal bands go to juxtapose a screaming vocalist with an effeminate one. As Maguire sings in ‘Where the Maps Go’, “We’re gonna show you/ Where the maps don’t go/ We’re gonna bask/ In the afterglow/ Cause we don’t care/ Just being ourselves.”
‘As We Live and Breathe’ opens the album with a hard attack on drums and distorted guitar. “We roll in/ We climb higher/ We move away,” sings Abbot, as the second guitar struts a funky lick up high. As Maguire takes the chorus, the song shifts back to a hard rock attack. And so the album goes, more or less. It’s an upbeat, fiery beast of a record that explores the band’s continuum of rock, funk, and dance.
‘Where the Maps Don’t Go’ is all funk and dance, with a driving snare and shimmering hi-hat on the upbeat. But the following tune, ‘Trendsetter’, is all rock with a dirty riff and screamed words on the chorus: “Fight/Fail/Riot again.” But it’s not always a tune-by-tune change. ‘Capri Son’ opens with a funky riff that a second guitar plays against on the verses, while the chorus is an epic rock explosion. ‘Skinnerbox’ emerges to rock from a Morse code-like riff that a second guitar builds into a soaring solo.
What is great about this band is their ability to create interlocking parts, as on the beautiful fifth track, ‘Ambulance’. Throughout the song, the two guitars and bass create independent lines that develop both a rhythmic and harmonic intensity. Meanwhile, McCrum drives them along while Maguire sings a lamenting melody, “We run wild/ We run far/ We rushing through/ We stealing cars/ Give favour to/ The hospital again.” The band maintains the delicate urgency throughout the song, making it one of the album’s best tracks.
Ties is a great album by a band whose energy and watertight groove probably translate to a live performance that is really something to hear.
Find out more about Arco Arena on their Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify.
This artist was sent to us by Old Crows Promotions.
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