Southampton is a funny place. As one of the most popular areas in the UK, people from all walks of life can be spotted on the busy streets. Whilst many cram themselves into dirt cheap bars at night, the area is also known for having a beautifully vibrant music scene dedicated to both the punk rock and the singer-songwriting communities. Having continuously sold out and even worked behind the bar of the famous Joiners Arms for many years, local boy Seán McGowan has been in the centre of it all, collecting plenty of tales to tell about the glamour and the grim of the city and beyond.
McGowan’s new EP ‘Look Lively’ is a collection of songs about the plain shitty things in life. Like a pissed off Billy Bragg, for every first world problem the singer has faced, he’s made a cracking verse out of it. Opener ‘Millbrook Road’ lets out his angst about those closest and furthest around him, whilst ‘Temp-per’ is aggressive, individual and has the potential to be a big sing-a-long on the live circuit. ‘Place Your Bets’ provides a genuinely agitated look at life in London, making his hometown not look too bad after all.
Without it sounding Sheeran-esque, his super quick vocal style both impresses and adds a distinctive flavour to his style. The honesty and detail McGowan goes into about his love life make ‘Look Lively’ feel personal and authentic. You can’t help but connect with his close to the bone lyrics on ‘Patchwork’, which have you rooting for him from start to finish.
Following the footsteps of many of pals and peers like Rob Lynch and Mongol Horde, ‘Look Lively’ was recorded at the Amazing Grace Studios. Produced by studio owner Sam Duckworth (Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly fame), despite some of these tracks being a little dated in his back catalogue, they have been fine tuned to sound infinitely better.
Ending the EP on ‘Temp-er’, McGowan explains that he’s skint, running out of luck and running out of time, but if ‘Look Lively’ is anything to go by, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Walking in similar footsteps as fellow Hampshire veteran Frank Turner, blending simple stories, quick streams of consciousness and home hitting lyricism, ‘Look Lively’ has all the makings to be a perfect platform for the singer to make some strides in the scene.
Seán Mcgowan is certainly not the only singer-songwriter who deserves to be ten miles ahead compared to where he is currently at in his career. With an EP that defines his early self in ‘Look Lively’, he will have no problem in standing by the side of some of his aforementioned peers in the not too distant future.
LOUIS KERRY