Places, moments and memories seem to be muses for Chase the Sunset, the instrumental guitar-centered album released by Joe McCann on January 1. Hailing from upstate New York, McCann is a studio based BMI artist and multi-instrumentalist with a love of melodic, ambient and evocative sounds.
In his first release of original material, McCann explores various ranges of mood and tone. “East Berlin Bridge” features a swaying melody over jazz-influenced chords and rhythms, while “Cool Breeze” explores wavy, echoing guitar effects over a light, almost shoegaze-influenced sound. The moving, soft quality of “Cool Breeze,” along with the sunny, pleasant mood of “Fingerwalk” invites listeners to sit back and momentarily let McCann’s soothing guitar serve as the backdrop to the day’s activities.
McCann exhibits a clear passion for setting scenes with his music as he places us in a barroom evening with “Double Duty,” or drops us in the middle of a person’s quest for ascension in “Chase the Sunset.” Following this stripped-down debut, it will be interesting to see McCann expand his musical universe with other instruments or even vocals in his next release.
Key Tracks: Chase the Sunset, Dwell, Cool Breeze
