This Glaswegian singer-songwriter’s second album takes its inspiration from literary voices like Laurie Lee, Hunter S. Thompson and T.S. Eliot. With The Death of Ann Millar, there is also homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood actress and dancer.
It is the follow-up to his debut Highfield Suite (2021) which Paul Brady called “an unexpected gem”.
At nine songs and a playing time of just 33 minutes, it is a modest affair with personal, melodic tunes lending it an intimacy without becoming fully confessional.
That said, The Harbour (the standout track) has some dark reflections which may or may not be his own: “Carry me up on the mountain and bury my shame / There’ll be no chorus of angels of mourn for my name.”
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Evelyn is a song-shaped letter to an old flame full of remembrances and regrets.
There’s some fleshing out of the songs but the real strength lies in their simplicity. James Steele plays saxophone on a couple of the tracks but this feels a little incongruous and adds little to the end result.
Michael McGovern’s website
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