I’ve meant to write about Shayne Cook’s Epiphonetics for a while, but something always stopped me. I wrote at length how much the singles, “The Stawell Gift” and “Matters of the Heart” impressed me, so I wondered whether there was anything left to say. Yet something kept drawing me back to this album. The more I felt the pull, the more I realised I needed to tell you all what an amazing release this is.
“The Stawell Gift” and “Matters of the Heart” hinted at the eclectic sounds we might find on this album. The first is the album’s opener, a haunting track with a rock edge that instantly captivates you and makes you ache to hear more. “Matters of the Heart” is lighter and folkier. It comes much later, a sunny spot in the darkness which gives the listener a chance to catch their breath.
Listening to this album isn’t just about listening to a string of singles. Every song makes sense in its context. They’re personal tracks, exploring the life of Shayne Cook’s father, but you don’t need to know him to appreciate this music. With so many different sounds here, from the emotionally urgent, rock-tinged “Blood” to the tender “Restless Lovers,” there should be something for everyone to latch on to. While this album plays with different genres, Shayne’s voice is a compelling constant. It reminds me a little of Jeff Buckley’s, with its seemingly effortless ability to travel anywhere and touch the heart.
In the digital age, the way so many people listen to music has changed. They download the singles and discard the rest, they shuffle and skip and rarely sit with the album as a whole. Epiphonetics takes me back to a time before all that, a time when you’d press play or lower the stylus and immerse yourself in every song to come. I encourage you to press play on Epiphonetics and just let it be, experience each and every song in the order Shayne Cook intended. I know you won’t be disappointed.
Images used with permission from Annie Johnsson Publicity
