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Reviews

Angus McOg — Cirrus
(Gare du Nord no#, 2023, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-07-06

Cirrus Cover art

I found that the debut album by Angus McOg took a while to grow on me. It was decidedly on the mellow side, with lush backings for delicate melodies. Sonically, Cirrus is much the same, and over repeated listens I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s just never going to work for me. The music is very pretty, and the arrangements for keyboards and guitars provide sensitive backing for the subtly emotive singing of Antonio Tavoni, but most of the songs never seem to go anywhere. They’re content to wander along in a sleepy haze never quite reaching any kind of intensity or energy. I can’t recall any names, but it’s the kind of indie-pop singer-songwriter stuff I’ve heard many times. The musicians are skilled at what they do, though instrumental prowess isn’t part of the formula. And Tavoni does have a very nice voice. “Parts” is one song that approaches something more impactful, aiming towards the drama of a late-80s Modern English or Simple Minds song, and “Communist Party Party” works up to a driving beat, but like almost all of the other tracks, it goes on too long — only two of the eight songs are under five minutes, when three or three and a half would have sufficed. Probably it’s just best to say that Cirrus just isn’t my cup of tea and hope they can find the listeners who appreciate their sound.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Angus McOg

More info
http://angusmcog.bandcamp.com/album/cirrus

 

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