A soft moment draws the listener in to Deciduous, the opening single on the debut EP from Oscar Mild. This is a track that leans heavily on McMahon’s gentle vocals with light use of drums, guitar and harmonies supplied by fellow Umbrella Records‘ members Sean Wynne, Tomas Concannon and Joseph Padfield. In the middle of the track we hear a recognisable sample from the movie Casablanca, a quick snippet that breaks up the track but fits perfectly. Deciduous is soft and ethereal and yet there is a groove to it unlike anything else on The Boy Who Fell from the Sea.
The second track Sit Right brings a bit more energy to proceedings and seems to be the most personal track on the EP in the way it deals with relationships and the parts of them that we can get behind – love, circumstance and fate. I have found myself whistling parts from it over the last few days.
Third track 80 Days captures what Oscar mild has tried to achieve here – a product that showcases the softer side of the Umbrella Records artist roster. 80 Days is a track that moves effortlessly from soft acoustic verses to bass driven chorus. McMahon’s imaginative lyrics tell a story of unrequited potential, of dreams lost and found again. C’est La Vie, as the song says.
Ink is the most relaxed track on the album and the highlight of the EP for me – tenderness is the name of the game with McMahon’s light guitar work complimented by Padfield’s simple riffs.
Final track Wonderland brings to mind the early works of artists such as James Vincent McMorrow, Jamie Woon and Ben Howard. It is a slow building atmospheric track that uses a slight touch of guitar and reverb overlaid on top of interspersed harmonised vocals.
The Boy Who Fell from the Sea is an EP full of ideas and themes that are rarely touched on, especially in such an open way – McMahon’s style is as honest and open as you might find right now.
Written by Oscar Mild and Produced by Joseph Padfield for Umbrella Records.
