In November, we had the honor of interviewing Cormac Looby when he released his single "Patriot". You can listen to the radio show on replay here. The Irish artist is back with a fabulous EP released today, "Things We Don't Control". Only 4 tracks and a quarter of an hour of pure musical pleasure. Including his last two singles and two unreleased songs, this EP is like a little book of which you will appreciate each chapter.

We won't go into detail about Patriot, you can read our review here. The single "Hard-wiring" went through our Fresh Indie playlist and convinced us immediately with its incredible hook. With a very catchy and bouncy melody, you'll want to shake your head to make your hair fly. But to do that, you need hair. Lots of hair. Like Cormac Looby. With triumphant trombones, "Hard-wiring" is "a reflection on past relationships and looking forward to figuring out the reason why they have broken down", as Cormac says. A striking contrast between the bitterness that can leave a relationship that didn't work and the joy of the track.

In my humble opinion, the real pearl of this EP is in the third position. "Couldn't Be The Only One" is definitely my favorite. With a beautiful folk identity, faithful to his Irish roots, this track is the most touching of the whole. With beautiful violins, a luminous banjo, and a stunning vocal performance, the wonderful lyrics have a nice bed to rest on. The vocal flights are amazing and Cormac reveals all his talents as a singer on the highest and longest notes. Written during the second lockdown in 2020, the song is an ideal escape for the artist who entrusts his hardest struggles to it. The few banjo notes at the very end are the real icing on the cake. A small detail, yes, but one that makes all the difference.

The journey ends with "Start Again". A little more stripped down than the previous song, it's a bit like a box of chocolates that reveals good surprises to you as you go down the floors. An effective bass, a delicate acoustic guitar, a violin at first discreet in the background then which takes up more and more space, an elegant electric guitar, a graceful piano... The list grows minute by minute, and the main instrument of the song becomes the stunning voice of Cormac with fantastic vocal flights. Until the intensity drops and leaves us with a moving outro that ends with "Close my eyes and start again". The last word "again", slightly offset from the piano which plays the same notes as the voice, shows that we all deserve a new start and that we must accept our imperfections. I thought that was a very clever hint.

Overall, this EP is faithful to the artist, to his roots, and to his deeply human "open to others" side, despite his inner struggles which are sometimes difficult to master. We find here everything that makes the artist: his sincerity, his authenticity, his Irish identity. Like a kind of biometric passport where the musician reveals every part of himself, without hiding anything, and being unaware of the incredible result. A successful intimate confession in just four chapters.

Reach out to Cormac Looby

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Written with love by Niko. "Couldn't Be The Only One" has been added to our "Indie Music" playlist on Spotify.