Gavin McNicholl is a singer/songwriter who recently released Sounds of Time. The EP contains six songs of vocals and guitar. I’ve said before that a release containing only these two elements take a lot to hold my attention. There are of course some exceptions that come to mind. Artists like The Tallest Man on Earth, Jeff Buckley and Iron and Wine come to mind. Based on this EP I can’t say McNicholl has the technical chops or unique vocal characteristics as any of these artists but there are really well written songs here and a great deal of potential.
His finest moments are when he focuses on guitar picking. Take for instance “For Mom” which is a clear highlight. The vocals work well and he has a bit of Fiona Apple type delivery going on here. The strumming of mostly minor and major chords reminded me a little too much of an open mic session on a college campus. “I Don’t Care” is one of those songs which embraces the bohemian folk archetype. Don’t get me wrong; there is a lot to appreciate here but it also sounded like a folk song that I have heard countless times before. The other highlight was “Broken Bridges” where I think the mix of hope, melancholy and nostalgia rides a fine line that works. It's just as familiar sounding as the other songs but the delivery and lyrics are exceptional here. McNicholl is a singer/songwriter going down a musical path that many other have attempted before which is trying to capture the essence of the traveling artist with nothing but his guitar in hand. It’s a romanticized concept in thought and the appeal is still strong for younger generations. There's nothing wrong with trying to evoke the spirit of ’60s folk singers as long as you’re walking down your own path. For McNicholl it seems as if his path has just started and only time will tell if others are willing to follow.
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