Sounds like…

Oregon Country meets Celtic pop.

The review

If you were to mash up an Irish pop band and an alt-folk band you’d find Gloomcatcher somewhere in its crosshairs. Their new EP mixes tracks from both sides of the tracks but continues to show that the mix allows for lots of variation. It’s a bit of folk, Celtic tinged but with a slice of country in there too.

‘Above’ is the standout euphoric single on the EP. With mobile phone advert levels of big ‘Woah-oh’s’ and some vocoder alongside an Irish flavour of alternative folk music. Big drums, soft piano, beautiful vocals and plenty of flair. It’s also fairly deceptive as the rest of the EP is much more subdued. Aside from the occasional stick drum marches that pop up, this is a clean and gentle collection of tracks. Ballad ‘Follow’ is beautiful in its simplicity. The gentle strings and fondling of guitar strings often without a direct melody let you focus on the soft falsetto vocals. ‘The Engineer’ is an equally rootsy folk piece. Fans of noiserv will feel right at home too with rock folk pieces like ‘The Summit’ too. I only have one minor critique. There is a slight overreliance on softening of all the instruments to give the album’s production a misty morning vibe. Sometimes that means the music lacks a bit of low end and my mind wanders into the devotional territory. That being said, if you love folk with a really smudged reverb and soft edges to it – you’ll love this EP.

Gloomcatcher certainly knows how to write an understated ballad and this EP is full of them. It’s calming, soothing and the perfect companion piece to watching the world go by through a train or car window. I felt whimsical by the time it was over and you’ll likely feel it too.

Recommended track: Follow

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