Cowboy X- Gabbi

Hailing from Ireland, four-piece Cowboy X shine on their debut single, Gabbi. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Karen McCartney, the band's sound here is a successful alternative rock/pop amalgamation fashioned from influences ranging from The Beatles to Tori Amos but largely drawing from the 80s and 90s new wave and alternative scenes. While sonic comparisons to other artists are fairly easy to make, their knack for crafting songs that are both infectious and emotive makes this two-song single more than the sum of its parts.

The A-side here, "Gabbi", comes in the form of heavily synth-laden alternative pop with a slight new wave bent, falling somewhere around the intersection of mid-career Garbage and The Birthday Massacre's more upbeat material. Its B-side, "2nd Second", on the other hand, is a considerably more guitar-heavy, energetic alt rocker, falling closer to Lush circa Lovelife, both vocally and musically. Both songs are quite strong, "Gabbi" being the slightly catchier and more radio-friendly of the two.

While it's relatively difficult to judge a band based on two songs, particularly two songs that represent contrasting angles of their sound, Gabbi is a very good single that hopefully foreshadows an equally strong full-length debut (Who Are These People, due out in May). If this single, both songs from which are apparently set to appear on the album, is any indication, Cowboy X are likely to make quite an international splash come late spring.