Chris Mckay is an Irish singer/songwriter currently residing in Glasgow whose debut EP ‘Home’ was released on the 22nd of July. Steering clear of the traditional acoustic guitar sounds that are usually associated with solo artists, McKay uses a plethora of instruments and back up singers in an attempt to create a unique solo sound.

Unfortunately, despite its unique aspects, ‘Home’ is an EP which ultimately fails to excite. No Longer There is a catchy, upbeat opener which mixes raucous guitar riffs with soft vocals reminiscent of The Perishers’ Martin Gustafson. For You is self-indulgent in its length but isn’t unique in any way. In fact it could have been lifted directly from either of The Reindeer Section’s albums. This, admittedly, can be seen as both a positive and a negative in some ways.

Often, when an artist decides to include an instrumental song in an EP or album, they can create moments of magic for the listener. On some occasions, however, they fall flat and For A Brother is indicative of that. What starts out as a hauntingly dark song quickly fades to a dull, dreary and ultimately dour two and a half minutes. Closing track, Home, the title track of the EP, does little to help McKay recover. Another needlessly long number which never really gets going at any stage.

One has to give credit to McKay for his attempts to create a unique solo sound in order to stand out from the crowd. Unfortunately for him, whilst he does succeed in standing out, it’s behind the crowd where he ends up, rather than in front.