Review by Ritchie Birnie for MPM
The powerful singer from Revival Black and most recently Skin has branched out to a solo career and the first incarnation is EP Beginnings and it is epic.
Dan Byrne is one of the hottest upcoming singers on the circuit and as much as I was gutted when he left Revival Black(After releasing one of the best albums of the year) I was intrigued at what might come next and I did not have to wait long as he teamed up with the incredible Myke Gray as he put together another version of Skin who I was a massive fan of back in the 90s.
Unfortunately there were no shows in Scotland so I did not manage to catch the band but the reviews were very positive. Now that those shows are over Dan has focused internally and released four very personal songs which proves what we all knew…this man is incredibly talented.
Beginnings opens “Death of Me”, a number with just keys and vocals to start and the tones are stunning. This is a very different direction from what we have heard before but man this is sublime. The voice just screams for your attention and as the song builds it gets heavier, more powerful and rises to anthemic proportions.
Second track “Animals” is again a bit different from what has gone before but it propels itself forward with cutting guitar riffs but throws in some synth as the song rips towards a 2000s industrial beast. An instant classic.
It is back to the gentle vibe on “Animals” and the piano and vocals and this just showcases Dan’s power, poise and pitch. He hits the highs with ease and the words pull on the heartstrings. This is a ballad of epic proportions. Strings add layers to the composure and the acoustic adds the lightness before Dan soars, this is powerful and very unique.
As we come to final track “Hard To Breathe” you can tell Dan has aimed very high for this release. This is not Skin, this is not Revival Black, this is Dan Byrne and he has laid his heart bare. This track is a ballad outside a ballad. It has the guts, the lyrics and the impact but all wrapped inside a rock monster.
This is my favourite EP of 2023 by a long way and to be honest it is up there with the best albums too and there have been some monsters this year. This was not at all what I was expecting, I thought we were in for a straight forward rock EP that harked back to the 70s but how wrong was I and how happy to have my expectations stopped in their tracks and simultaneously blown away in four tracks of brilliance
PRE-ORDER HERE: https://www.danbyrne.co/store
