Mcrobin are back and armed with not only a vulnerable and expressive new EP after a year long sabbatical, but a powerful message, speaking to the ever relevant discussion of men’s health and masculinity.
As the one-man project by James McGuffie of Melbourne, the EP Shallow Diver includes singles Concrete Feet, Fine Line, Periphery, Steal My Only and a title track.
McRobin’s Shallow Diver expertly blends dark poetic phrasing with the subtle clarity of nuanced light electronica, creating a record, which is much a musical triumph as it is moving prose.
The title track is an artistic wave of highs and lows, rolling percussion and sharp guitar leads. Carried by the clarity of vocals and binding narrative, Shallow Diver is a tight and crystalline title track for this picturesque EP.
With an urgency Concrete Feet rolls in with a crash of upbeat Australiana, while waves of crisp and delightful guitar hooks lick the shoreline of a tremendous bass jam.
Periphery haunts the listener, the track taking to the depths of Mcrobin’s emotional ocean. Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley fans will fall at the feet of blissful, off kilter piano led lyricism and the tragedy behind his soulful sound.
The EP continues on to Fine Lie, a fast, wistful and distant guitar trickling beneath signature carving vocals.
A crisp and lightly jazz infused closure ensues, Steal My Only being packed with driving guitar; rich with emotion and catharsis. To be driving along a coastal road is the only place you want to be to absorbing Steal My Own, with tight little bass hooks punctuating the edges of a California surf rock ballad.
Shallow Diver is a rich and delightfully diverse summer EP, Mcrobin articulating light and dark in a truly poignant and emphatic way. With consistent threads of reflection and personality Shallow Diver is a refreshing and perfectly timed reimagining for this Australian musician.
Catch Mcrobin at his EP launch on December 4.
Have a look at our 5 best covers of Leonard Cohen‘s Hallelujah here.
