Curfew's cinematic reverie on debut LP 'Black Doll’s Eyes'

Emerging from North Dublin, Irish alternative hard-rock trio Curfew have spent the last few years building a reputation for music that hits with both raw intensity and cinematic scope. Now, the band: made up of Jj Smilez, Gavin Dunne, and Mick Caffrey - is poised to make its full-length statement with the release of their debut album, Black Doll’s Eyes.

The album is a careful excavation of emotional terrain, exploring personal journeys, human connection, and the quiet tensions of contemporary life. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Shaun Cadogan at Temple Lane Studios, Black Doll’s Eyes captures Curfew’s dynamic sound with precision and depth, balancing blistering hard-rock energy with moments of reflective lyricism.

Among the standout tracks is “Flaketown”, a song that feels both nostalgic and starkly modern. It’s a retro-tinged sonic trip, but lyrically, it explores the very modern tension between presence and distraction. Lines like “Swipe it down, then forget I ever saw it / though I love you, I forget to tell you” reveal the pull of technology on human relationships, while the refrain “Can’t let go, won’t let go, won’t let it die in my hands” crystallizes the addictive hold of screens in daily life. Here, Curfew carve out a space that’s as much metaphorical as musical: a place where retreat feels easier than engagement, a liminal “Flaketown” between connection and absence.

Within the context of Black Doll’s Eyes, “Flaketown” provides a thoughtful counterpoint to the rest of the record, inhabiting the negative space of relationships and reflecting the band’s ongoing exploration of self, habit, and the hierarchy of relationships. It’s a testament to Curfew’s skill that even their most introspective moments carry an unmistakable cinematic power.

With Black Doll’s Eyes, the North Dublin trio are taking the next step, turning live acclaim and critical interest into a fully realised artistic statement.

The album will be celebrated with a headline show at The Grand Social, Dublin on 23 December, a fitting milestone for a band whose music feels as immediate as it does cinematic. For those following Curfew’s journey, Black Doll’s Eyes promises spaces to inhabit - intense, reflective, and entirely their own.

Listen to Black Doll's Eyes