Harmless Noise
A music blog from Ireland.
A music blog from Ireland.
(No Ratings Yet)
Mysterious music often finds its way to my inbox and even when it comes with interesting details, I’m never quite sure what to expect. Gentleboy EP is one example, the work of Paul Maguire, an unsolicited promo stream which I first heard last week and it’s held on well to its mystique in the listening period since.
Although the song structures for the most part are fairly standard in progression, there’s a lot of weight in the way they’re levelled at the listener. The gear involved in making these songs is probably unsophisticated because they’re slightly cheap and oversimplified, but the mix works. There’s a lot of vocal work, emphasis on lyrics and the specific fashioning of voices as garments that hang inversely, within the songs’ frames. Using hip hop, pop and dance alloys in a six-song cylinder, they’re not kept pure enough but instead mingle like mixed oils. It’s mostly easy and enjoyable listening (Me & My Man is a catch and Eat My Heart is golden) but Eyes Like Newton is an identifying fragment that suggests a less-than-gentle deeper nature, a rough and noisy build of sound that spikes through a treacle-thick bassline and beguiling central vocal. When it comes to the motive of free downloads, usually the band just want to leave a calling card and despite the noble name, Gentleboy‘s is neither perfumed or embossed, just a sweet nothing that might just make you want to meet again.
Get updates on Facebook
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
