secret fireworks

Once again, welcome to the free album of the week post. This week’s offering is the debut album of Conor Mason, a wonderful songwriter originally from Derry that currently resides in Glasgow. “Let It Unfold” documents the first tentative steps of Mason towards musical brilliance.

Conor is a singer songwriter in the true sense of the word- on this album he doesn’t give into the temptation of just hammering out a few chords and singing along. Every song has a clearly sculpted melody and structure that includes bass and lead guitar as well as a pretty acoustic guitar line. With the drum machine and the desire to mess things up a little the comparisons to David Kitt are pretty darn obvious, but in some respects he manages to outKitt the Kittster.

The vocals are restrained and quiet, rather like the shy guy at a party instead of the boisterous shouts of the typical singer songwriter (Damien Rice, I’m looking at you). The lyrics can be lacking at times but apart from this, you can safely mention Elliott Smith and Conor Mason in the same breath: a wonderful ear for catchy and memorable tunes, lovely harmonies and a desire for complex songs. The gorgeous waltz that is “Nothing To Say” sticks in your head- there’s trumpets, a repetitive drum beat, lovely, unassuming vocals (with half hearted lyrics) and a wonderful guitar part. It wouldn’t be out of place on XO: indeed, it wouldn’t be out of place in Grey’s Anatomy.

“Let it Unfold”, the title track, slows things down a bit. A repeating guitar line, backing vocals that are reminiscent of Bon Iver and something unmistakeably wonderful that captivates the listener. Mason doesn’t waste words: indeed the chorus consists of the words “let it unfold, let it unfold” repeated over and over again, and it’s stunning.

There really isn’t a filler track on this album. Admittedly, it’s more of a demo than a properly produced album and it does show at times. However, the whole lo fi thing makes “Let it Unfold” just a teeny bit more intimate, especially on tracks such as “Save A Line” that could so easily be over produced. A great debut that promises a lot more.

Download album

Download Let It Unfold (right click, save as)

Download Save A Line (right click, save as)

Download Nothing To Say (right click, save as)

Labels: conor mason, free album of the week

The first in the series of free EPs and albums put up every Sunday is the debut album of Escape Act "Loosely Based On Fiction". The Belfast band have slowly but surely been turning heads in the blogosphere as well as within mainstream media with a sound that is reminiscent of perhaps Irish Americana (or The Thrills with a bit more bottle and drive).



Loosely Based On Fiction is a great debut album that delivers much and promises even more. There's a couple of radio friendly tracks such as "Cabin Fever" and "God Says" but the true gems are hidden within the album- "Sullied Behave For The Stars" and "Corpses Candle" are standout songs. The lyrics are, well, a little unusual at times- it's difficult to be eloquently disaffected- but when it comes together, it's a hit. Wonderful drumming and ridiculously catchy melodies (don't say I didn't warn you) make Escape Act a promising Northern Irish talent. Recording is underway on a new album and from the material we've heard live, it's clear to see that Chris Heaney and company are not a flash in the pan.

Standout Tracks: Cabin Fever, God Says, Sullied Behave For The Stars
If you like this you'll like: The Jane Bradfords, Panda Kopanda

Download: http://escapeact.bandcamp.com/

Labels: escape act, free, free album of the week, loosely based on fiction, panda kopanda, the jane bradfords

The Killers. You may hate them or love them, but I love their fans. The offical board to the band may have its fair share of "OMG BRANDEN IS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOT" kids but for every fanboy/girl there's a couple of fantastic music fans. So fantastic, that they've kindly provided a number of bands for us to enjoy.

First up is a New York band called The Depreciation Guild. They're not exactly the Polyphonic Spree: according to their MySpace they're just "two guys and a Famicom (that's a NES to us youngsters)". Their debut album, "In Her Gentle Jaws" was put on their website for free and I really, really recommend you download it. It's a superb listen.





Their sound is so lush and beautiful, yet so full of energy and enthusiasm when the time is right- I keep thinking this is what the Postal Service would have sounded with a younger Ben Gibbard and more input from Jimmy Tamborello. The guitars and the techno/shoegaze mixture is just perfect, with great melodies and sweet vocals. Sadly, you sometimes forget about the vocals when listening to In Her Gentle Jaws- and that's a huge shame, as some of the prettiest lyrics I've ever heard were just drowned out by crashing guitars. Granted, they're not poetry, but they certainly get the job done. It's an uptempo musical extravaganza that will appeal in some way to every self-respecting music fan.

Songs to recommend: Butterfly Kisses, Nautilus.
If you like this you'll like:... tough to call. The album's free, so go ahead and download it!

www.inhergentlejaws.com free download of the album.

Labels: free album of the week, in her gentle jaws, the depreciation guild, the killers