Angus McOg
Cirrus
Gare Du Nord
28 April 2023
Angus McOg, alter ego of Modena-based Antonio Tavoni, weaves together Americana, indie and art rock to create a powerful record with folk-rock at its heart. Written during the pandemic, Cirrus comes four years after their previous album Beginners, breaking the silence rather nicely.
The record is inspired by Cirrus clouds (to any non-cloud spotters, these are the feathery, most distant clouds formed from ice crystals, which at dusk develop into beautiful colourful streaks), and the album truly embodies its muse. Tracks such as Lou, Currents and Sirens open with elusive delicacy and grow into a stunning climax of sound, just as these wispy clouds develop into dramatic palettes of colour.
Produced under the direction of Andrea Rovacchi of neo-psychedelic group ‘Julie’s Haircut’ and mastered by Joe Lambert, who has worked with the likes of Sharon Van Etten, Deerhunter and The National, Cirrus contains hints of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy in its darker moments and the folky alt-rock of Wilco in others. But the record’s power rests on its refusal to conform to the parameters of any specific genre, and Angus McOg’s abandonment of the urge to stick to one sound is refreshing. The record bounces between dreamy piano in the epic opener and album namesake Cirrus, the cacophony of drums, guitar, bass and trumpet in Parts and the plucky folkiness of Currents, taking us on a journey through sounds. Communist Party Party throws an enormous, indie rock-shaped spanner in the works and turns the album on its head, injecting an upbeat energy, with hectic guitar and Francesco Zaccanti’s rumbling bass, into an otherwise meditative record. This one makes you want to have a dance; I suppose you could call that a Communist Party Party party.
You’ll have to sit back down for Say My Name, the 10-minute album closer which guides us dreamily through all the sounds Angus McOg have at their disposal; the undercurrent of Luca Torreggiani’s drumming, Enrico Pasisi’s melodic trumpet and the delicate guitar plucking joins forces with a chilling choir of voices to melt together into a stunning climax which rounds the album off with a reminder of its meteorological inspiration. If the breaking of light and colour through the cirrus clouds had a voice, this would be it.
A brave melting pot of genres, Cirrus offers deep meditative epics and breezy folk under one roof. Angus McOg is determined to forge their own path, and it’s a pleasant journey to accompany them on.
Bandcamp: https://angusmcog.bandcamp.com/album/cirrus