Declan EC, 15: REVIEW

Declan EC, 15 (self-released)

Declan Evans-Cargnello’s career begins from an excellent foundation. The son of longtime local troubadour Paul Cargnello, the teenage Declan’s debut album 15 shows he’s picked up some cues from his old man (who is heavily involved with production and mixing and even plays drums on most tracks), but with a musical identity distinctly his own. Perhaps the most immediate style comparison is Elvis Costello (he’s a Declan too, after all), but there’s also traces of the White Stripes (“End of Year Blues”), the Strokes (“Fade Out”), funk (the instrumental “Right Place, Right Time”) and late ‘70s post-punk packed within 22 minutes. Lyrically, his phrasing can feel a bit awkward, but he knows his way around a punchy pop melody, as evidenced on tracks like “Déjà vu” and “Halfway to Thirty.” Declan EC is still very raw, but the potential is there — and songwriting chops clearly run in the family. 7/10 Trial Track: “Déjà vu”

For more on Declan EC, please visit his Bandcamp. This review was originally published in the March issue of Cult MTL.

---

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.