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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VerseChorusVerse - Outro

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VerseChorusVerse - Outro VerseChorusVerse (VCV), either the most basic wikihow recipe ever or the musical persona of one Tony Wright. A musician by trade and a veteran of the scene, having toured extensively when younger and being a founding member of collective And So I Watch You From Afar, Wright emerges from his year spent as the ‘Artist in residence’ for The Mac Belfast with his album/3D musical experience Outro. Steely in parts, haunting in others and intensely panoramic, Outro is every bit an opera as it is an LP. Wrights crooning vocals, carved with frankness and emotion, guide the listeners through an aural escapade, a journey through the mind of VerseChrouseVerse. This sounds understandably pretentious and art college-ey, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In his time as a solo artist, Wright has reimagined the music he wants to make for himself, as evidenced by the lexicon of styles present in Outro. Seemingly influenced by the alternative aesthetic Wrigh...
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Don Maple - Never Loved You Better

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