Friday, May 8, 2015

Max Gowan - Big People (2015)

There's a great many of submitted albums incoming to me lately. This is normally the case yet it never ceases to amaze me. Moreover, the timing of it all. How do they all know to send it in the same week? Enter my life as a Sisyphean completist. Yet this guy gets a pass on this particular issue as he's new to SRM, though no less worthy of mentioning.

Max Gowan is a singer-songwriter from Raleigh, North Carolina with a charming album. His music doesn't fall neatly into an category, as is the case for many good singer-songwriters. It rides close to folk-pop most often, though at other times the production levels pick up, especially in the vocals, creating a morose pop feeling not unlike Elliott Smith. The man knows how to make an emotional appeal without being overly sappy, something that is all too uncommon for songwriters. He plays around with the guitar as well, showing off his skills, even in a few instrumental bits that I am fully enthused by (listen to "The Stumble"). But he really shows his shit off in tunes like "Here, (Part 1)," "Snow" and "Open Letter to Heaven ." Naturally this is all subjective and in the moment, yet the album should considered as a whole. Undoubtedly, Gowan is very capable and these songs are incredibly enjoyable to hear. I do believe he's the possibility to produce something really epic and I want to be the first to hear it. 

To be had here:
Max Gowan - Big People

No comments:

Post a Comment