Description
From openers ‘One Foot Out The Door’s stark confession and ‘Angel At Your Back’s reflections of ‘Waiting For My Man’, to the delicate intimacy of ‘Outsider Blues’ and ‘Just For An hour’, McMahon brings a quiet authority to his songs allowing the economy of his lines to be savoured for their wry or poignant observations. Importantly that poignancy is part of the timbre of McMahon’s voice, a gentle ache that coaxes delicate melodies that earworm in a way that is wholly believable and moving.
On Just To See You Again, McMahon is joined by fellow Blind Date artist Freya Josephine Hollick and the aching blend of these two voices is mesmerising. Throughout the record the arrangements maintain an uncluttered focus through which the songs flow, allowing a lightness of touch and a confidence in the strength of the songs to carry their weight.
Reference points might be Blood On The Tracks Bob Dylan or On The Beach Neil Young but that risks reducing the work to pastiche, instead of regarding it as the work of a dedicated, deft artist. On You Will Know When You're There, Sean has distilled his influences into an exceptional selection of songs and proves that to deliver something memorable, hard yards must be done, experience must be developed and craft learned and refined.