Are they curating a soundtrack for the next Bond movie yet? If so, music from this EP has to be in the running for a spin. ‘Strangers‘ is the first song I heard from this classically trained singer from North London and I have to say, It is the absolute nuts. It is the opening song from her freshly released five track debut EP ‘Préludes‘ and upon first listen to the full EP this afternoon in the glum London weather I sat quietly, in awe, at the sheer quality of what I was listening to.
Préludes is a collection of five mellow piano led tracks that each tickle the fancy in their own right. Maguire’s piano playing style in ‘Find My Way’ reminds me of what late Irish piano player Conor Walsh was composing before his tragic passing in 2016. The depth of the notes, coupled with Maguire’s chillingly beautiful voice, make this track a joy on the ears. A brittle, methodical and wholly effective piece.
‘Be vulnerable’ is another stunningly beautiful song from this exciting new EP. If anyone here is a fan of Lisa Hannigan – you will love this track. The Arpeggios are bliss, the vocals are bliss and the subject manner is poignant – to ‘be vulnerable‘ is the shout Maguire is getting across in her lyrics – There is no reason why this woman should be vulnerable, her music is utterly powerful.
Gillian Maguire has been mixing with well known artists like Ry x (as support on his UK tour), Soko and most recently Ghostpoet (one of my favourites). She is a talented violin player too and has recorded strings on Mystery Jets last album ‘Curve of The Earth‘ and Ben Howard‘s ‘Noonday Dream‘ – it’s fair to say that many a seasoned musician on the circuit will have been awaiting the release of this debut solo offering. Maguire is currently in the studio with producer Liam Howe (Lana Del Ray) working on future releases.
Préludes EP was produced by Steph Marziano. Released 7/6/19. This is an artist that will make an impact. Watch this space.
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