Andy McKee – ‘Mythmaker’ [Review]
If you have ever used YouTube, Andy McKee’s name will no doubt be familiar to you. Perhaps right now you’re already playing his music in your head; perhaps that music is accompanied by the visual element of that viral hit; or maybe the name rings a bell but you don’t quite know why. If you fall into the latter category, click the link above before continuing.
Andy McKee’s acoustic guitar-centric virtuosity – the inhuman strength of his technical skill alone – is undeniable. But unlike the vast majority of technically talented guitar players, McKee is no poor man’s anybody, no half-masted widdle merchant or soulless shredder. McKee writes music, is as strong a composer as a clinician, and uses apparently boundless gymnastic capability and stamina in the name of interesting melodies and rich, deep harmonic structures. His tunes not only demand repeated listens, but compel the listener to listen repeatedly by virtue of both their multifaceted complexity and the shimmering, transcendent nature of their beauty.
Mythmaker (the name of both this EP and McKee’s new self-owned record label) is comprised of its title track (performed on baritone guitar); a standard-acoustic-guitar solo tune (The Reason); a single solo piano piece (June); and a closing masterpiece (named Lumine) combining lilting piano with McKee’s trademark acoustic and fresh electric guitar work. Mythmaker feels like the beginning of a journey into territory that McKee is presently mapping out, an invitation into an exciting and vibrant brave new creative space.
Listen to (and buy) Mythmaker using the links below, and let us know how many times you let it repeat.
Links
Buy Mythmaker on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mythmaker-ep/id844295279
Follow Andy McKee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andymckeemusic
Mythmaker Records: https://www.facebook.com/Mythmakerrecords
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