INDIE ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Wollongong’s Obscura Hail – or Sean Conran to his nearest and dearest – has been making his wonderfully weird brand of darkly shaded wood-cabin folk since the tender age of 16. That said, there’s never been a better time to discover Conran’s music than right now, at the ripe old age of 24.
His latest EP, recorded and performed entirely on his lonesome, is another voyage into low-key, spiralling song progressions, rich in reverberation, layered vocals and hyperactive guitar work recalling that of Nick Drake and Jose Gonzalez.
At a time when it’s increasingly difficult for the humble WGWAG (white guy with acoustic guitar) to create anything of merit, the music of Obscura Hail serves as a welcome relief from your typical coffee-shop variety – and, beyond that, it presents a particularly unique take on the format of the singer-songwriter entirely. The best part is that there is plenty more where this came from – with his three albums and countless releases in the ether, newcomers to Conran’s music have not only heard Thrown Into The Sea, but the clang of the treasure chest that lies beneath.
Hugely imaginative and sweetly enchanting, Thrown Into The Sea is a brief but captivating adventure.
4/5.
Thrown Into The Seais out now through No Safe Place.
