New Wax
This little mini-album came out late last year, so it's not technically "new," but it's new to me, and if you've got a slowcore bone in your body, you'll enjoy it as much as I did. Irish songwriter Tom McShane's Departures EP opens with disarmingly spare single organ notes that ring moodily until delicate vocals somewhat reminiscent of Elliott Smith enter the mix. Musically, the arrangements on Departures bring to mind recent material from Bill Callahan (under the Smog moniker), but while McShane's songs share similar bare-bones sentiments, they have a more melodic sensibility. With such a gloomy veneer, you could easily overlook the hopefulness contained in McShane's songs, which contain an underlying sense of optimism underneath the melancholic surface. Based on only a handful of EP releases, McShane has garnered considerable critical praise and has cultivated an adoring fanbase. With a new album in the works and set to be released sometime in 2008, McShane's following should only grow. If you're into minimalistic slow-burning fare somewhere along the lines of Smog, Red House Painters, and Idaho, I'd definitely recommend giving Departures a listen. The album is available on iTunes, and you can head over to Tom's website to download his lo-fi home-recorded first album Songs Are Sad for FREE: http://tommcshane.co.uk/-- Capt. Obvious
Listen:
MP3: Tom McShane - Guide
MP3: Tom McShane - Scene At The Citadel
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