Unknown to the Irish music scene, Jonathan Crean, known under the alias The Attic Diary has recently released a brooding EP, with many shortcomings.

Opening track Nothing begins with a lonesome acoustic guitar, delicately assisted by a sensitive vocal. If you bypass the poor production on the song, there’s real heartache in the music – a sort of Romeo and Juliet type of romance is illustrated through the lyrics; “I could tell you the truth as you wait from your balcony, breathing in cold winter air.” However, a straining lead vocal fails to hoist the song to the heights it so desperately attempts. A little more nurture and this track may develop for the better. For now, there’s far too much dead space throughout.

A Giant In My Room is the first impression of Struck’s self-proclaimed ‘low-fi-emo’ sound. Thankfully it lasts a mere minute and a half. Struck may agree with this assessment, as he (worryingly) admits on his Facebook page; “I’ve listened to them [the songs] so much at this point that I now hate them, but maybe some of you’ll like ’em.” While it’s common for musicians’ love of their music to dilute over time, it’s not the sort of thing you want to make public. Blossom and Rooftops show greater signs of the Mayo man’s capabilities; with shimmering guitars and more thoughtfully laid piano chords, helping create an endearing sound, albeit very similar to Albuquerque’s ‘The Shins’.

The final track (bizarrely named I Wish My Eyes Were Kaleidoscopes) is a barrage of unnecessary, nonsensical clatter. It’s a pointless addition on an EP already struggling to define what makes it unique. For The Attic Diary, there’s promise in the lyrics, but musically this brand of folk needs a greater level of musicianship.