Hello and introduction

Hello and welcome to everyone reading this! This is my online archive for all my music reviews for Belfast and Northern Ireland. I will be updating this as I write them.

If you wish to have a piece reviewed, please email me at benjaminjlmagee@gmail.com

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Stayne - Parachute

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Stayne - Parachute Derry singer/songwriter Stayne makes a highly anticipated return to the ‘new releases’ column with ‘ Parachute ’. A self-described pop artist who brings “something a little different,” his newest single pulls no punches. On his latest, the ‘I slay ’ performer tackles everything from alcoholism, spirituality and needing someone to hold on to a 'human parachute.’ Know to fuse his lyricism with introspection and self-worth before sending them out into the world, Stayne’s newest is his best so far. The warm gruff vocals of the walled city resident flow into range, telling a tale of victory and failure. A stripped back arrangement of keys and ghostly strings help elevate the vocal message, ultimately committing addition by subtraction. Wallowing in a more subtle sound than would be expected from pop allows Stayne to bring his voice to the forefront, giving lines such as “I’m a whole different man when I’m holding a beer” a new gravity. With this being ...
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Sarah McCreedy - Older

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Sarah McCreedy - Older  Flush as the North is with musical talent, singer/songwriters have long been a staple of the scene and remain one of our biggest cultural exports. Enter Co. Down hopeful Sarah McCreedy, who fits the mould of the modern singer/songwriter by combining accomplished musical aptitude with an impressive composition in her debut single Older. Carpeted by nostalgia, Older implies a level of comprehension by McCreedy that almost makes it unfair to consider the single a debut. Fully formed and confident, there is little room for complaint, nor is there evidence of unused potential. The opening of Older featured a measured and muted rhythmic strumming that is almost soporific in nature before McCreedy comes in, her vocals beginning barely louder than a whisper before gathering both traction and weight. As mentioned before, the song relies heavily on nostalgia and the march of time, but it is not without its wit. McCreedy informs the listener during the cho...
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Ember Trails - Dusk (On The Edge Of The World)

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Ember Trails - Dusk (On The Edge Of The World) One of the better-received groups from the city of Belfast, Alt/Space rock four-piece Ember Trails (ET), are back with their new release. Never shy in their pursuits, the mission statement of ET follows as such - they want to “balance light and dark elements” in their music. Not the smallest of goals and yet they certainly capture this feeling with their newest release Dusk (On The Edge Of The World). Dusk… has all the plus sides of their earlier releases and none of the minuses, indicative of a personal and musical growth within the band. The same airy, ethereal guitar arrangements, assisted by the occasional cymbal crash, remains but now the shift to the darker overtones is much more pronounced, fierce and controlled. The music only benefits from such advancements, as their more mature sound reveals a level of sophistication that was previously absent. Furthermore, more varied influences seemed to have been drawn into the...
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