(Domino)

Eccentric mini-album from youthful Scouser

21-year-old Eugene McGuinness possesses perhaps the world’s most Irish name (except for maybe Spud Murphy), yet the young man hails from Liverpool, where the post-‘66 experiments of The Beatles have clearly inspired this mini-album’s cut-and-paste experimentalism, daffy lo-fi folk, veteran synths and Buck Rogers samples. McGuinness is a man bursting with ideas – possibly too many ideas, actually, as his breathless efforts to cram as many influences into one song can make for an occasionally frustrating listening experience. Also, the inconsistency of his vocals means some tracks come across as a tad flat and yelpy. Which makes the CD’s title – The Early Learnings of Eugene McGuinness – both accurate and admirably honest. If these are the sketches of an emerging talent, The Early Learnings… could be the beginning of an engaging, almost autobiographical experiment in ongoing musical experiences. Despite the inconsistencies, I’m curious to hear his next move.

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MATT THROWER

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