Millions of streams on the relevant DSPs plus a signing with Ninja Tune already in under their belts? How Ben O'Sullivan and Patrick King have pulled off this feat for years now is something of a mystery, and not just to their large fanbase. On albums with the style-breaking genius of ‘Must Be Nice’ (2022) or ‘B.O.A.T.S.’ (2023), the duo from Kilkenny in Ireland fuse UK garage of the last decade with jazz-tinged house and highly emotional indie pop of the present day. A mixture of hype-tested tradition and deliberate reinvention, which they convey both through headphones and in their legendary live shows. For the latter, they have since expanded into a quartet, creating events with the energy of a rave, the intimacy of a house party and the professionalism of a world-class act. All this marks out this year’s fourth album ‘Happy Tears’ too, which finally sees 49th & Main become an international cultural phenomenon offering new hope in these inhospitable times – and not just to the Gen Z’ers. Be sure to get a piece of them!