Newly released EP Move The Mountains showcases Australian singer-songwriter Jack Biilmann’s lived-in blend of blues, rock, and country, showcasing the struggles, relationships, and hard-won resilience of life in his 30s. Balancing gritty guitar work and soulful hooks with candid storytelling, the release highlights some of Biilmann’s most personal songwriting yet, grounded in the independent spirit that has shaped his career.
Album opener “Outlaw” quickly showcases Biilmann’s knack for both hooky heartland rock and narrative-laden lyricism. “I wish I was an outlaw, riding on a big black horse,” his lead presence resonates amidst twangy guitar tones, building climactically to a “ride away” hooky beckoning with soulful escapism appeal. Ensuing track “Forbidden Fruit” then commences with a throwback, no-frills bluesy folk appeal, seamlessly giving way thereafter to an Americana suaveness. “Midnight strikes, and I don’t even know my name,” he lets out there, driving into an infectious “I know” refrain with backing harmonic resonance. The guitar solo approaching the three-minute mark is also especially impactful.
Another standout track, “Dark Days” opens by admitting “I don’t know myself no more” with vulnerable prowess. “You see the lights are on but I’m not home.” Sturdy guitar textures complement these heart-on-sleeve sentiments, conveying “weight on my shoulders” and personal tumult, though also glimpses of perseverance in spite of “dark days” that got “hold on me.” It’s an emotive success of a track, as is the EP’s fantastic title track, which revels in dynamic shifts between spacious guitar pulses and a more soaring, southern-rock aura, compelling in its organ-laden “know it’s not fair” sentiments in particular. Move The Mountains is an excellent overall EP from Jack Biilmann, full of memorable songwriting.
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“Move The Mountains” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
