Stevie Mac - The Cleansing Fire (self-released)

Stevie Mac is a prolific musician well known on the Belfast gigging scene. Probably best recognised more recently for his work in Electro 80’s influenced band Uber Glitterati, in December Stevie released 4 new solo tracks for an EP called The Cleansing Fire. And yes folks....it’s a free download on Bandcamp,[or as Mr Mac puts it – ‘for however much you think it’s worth’] which makes it even sweeter. Not enough is written about the Belfast music scene [outside of Ireland] and this is a damn shame. It has a kaleidoscope of musical talent to choose from, and Stevie is one of those talents, and with this EP, he finally gets a chance to really shine.

This EP is a far cry from Uber Glitterati as you would imagine, and just what the doctor ordered on these cold winter nights. The beauty of this EP is that every song is different and shows just how multi faceted Stevie is as a songwriter. From the 70’s influenced guitar track of 'The Cleansing Fire', [for me, the stand out track on the EP] to the vocally influenced [but instrumentally raw and stripped down] 'Leave My Heart Alone', every song is a treat in itself. Chilled out, but with introspective, soul searching lyrics, four songs just don’t seem enough to fully showcase his talent. Let’s hope there is an album due to appear in the not too distant future.

Listen/download the EP here