STORYMAN

STORYMAN is the songwriting partnership of Kevin May and Mick Lynch. Former members of The Guggenheim Grotto, Kevin May and Mick Lynch realized early on when faced with the concept of career that they had only one choice: Art. Their art of choice was music.

They set out developing their multi-instrumental sound to support what has become one of the most unique, identifiable and chilling vocal marriages. It’s not by chance that they have been compared over the years to the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel with a dash of Leonard Cohen and a few drops of Radiohead — add some of Ireland’s most poignant crooners and you might have a hint of their pedigree. Most recently they have been likened to Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes, but they always remain outside the trends of the day retaining an aura of permanence along with deep wisdom.

Yes, they were born and bred Irish lads but their music has always been universal with a signature debt to Irish melancholy, the sad sweet fragrance and elixir of pain that only the Irish can inject into a beautiful melody and lyric. Despite their continued success with The Guggenheim Grotto, releasing three critically acclaimed albums and creating a sizable fan-base, the guys have always split their time between their native Ireland and the US, with life on the road and grueling tour schedules never offering a chance to truly find their creative homes. The guys (having lived in Brooklyn for the last three years) have had a musical rebirth, working with producer Chris Kuffner (Ingrid Michaelson, Bess Rogers). They have developed their sonic landscape to produce an album that indicates a true breaking of the The Guggenheim Grotto mold.

Whilst retaining the sensibilities that made The Guggenheim Grotto so successful, STORYMAN takes it to a much edgier, bigger and beautiful place, and their album This Time Round is a glorious debut for a band who, originally from Ireland, have in the last three years immersed themselves in the rich musical haven that is New York City. This Time Round features some of the city’s finest: Chris Kuffner on electric guitars, bass and beautifully crafted synth work, Elliott Jacobson on drums/percussion, stunning vocals from Katie Costello, Lelia Broussard and Hannah Winkler, plus a host of other talent from New York’s vibrant and creative scene. As always, their songwriting is marked with a belief in the promises of the universe, a curiosity about humanity and a hopeless romanticism embodied by only the most passionate of artists and dreamers. With equal amounts melancholy and jubilance, the duo’s signature mix of soaring melodies and emotionally intelligent lyrics remains intact.

On the title track “This Time Round” we are exposed to the urgency of the new creative process going on within the May/Lynch camp. On tracks “Coming Home” and “You Got Me” you get a sense of the band’s new found identity as they sing of their love of their new surroundings, “Strange” picks at the human condition while “For a Cat” delves into the madness of love. Tracks like “Cherry Red” asks the question who you would like to spend your last moments on earth with? On “Electric Life”, carrying on the environmental theme, May and Lynch challenge the listener to “fight for your Electric Life”, while offering a haven from all the madness with the beautiful “Lay Your Weight.”