McCabe – Sunset Boulevard (2025)
South London’s McCabe arrives with cinematic ambition on ‘Sunset Boulevard’, crafting a sun-drenched opener that establishes him as a sophisticated sonic architect. The track’s foundation rests on a compelling contradiction: Hollywood’s intoxicating glamour set against its inherent darkness.
Working with producer Patrick James Fitzroy, McCabe constructs this duality through luxurious yet unsettling soundscapes. West coast hip-hop synths shimmer like California heat while arrangements echo Stereolab’s Dots and Loops-era sophistication, creating a retro futuristic atmosphere that captures both nostalgia and unease. Dub-influenced bass lines provide gravitational pull as horn sections punctuate the narrative with just enough theatricality to evoke golden age Hollywood without descending into pastiche.
McCabe’s ethereal vocals drift through the instrumentation like heat mirages, never quite solid enough to pin down but present enough to guide listeners through the song’s emotional landscape. His delivery makes the Hollywood critique feel personal rather than merely observational, while the production breathes with the rhythm of a city at golden hour – expansive beauty punctuated by shadows hinting at something more complex beneath.
The track’s restraint proves its greatest strength. Rather than overwhelming, with obvious cinematic bombast, McCabe allows space for darker undercurrents to breathe. The David Lynch influence manifests not through overt weirdness but in the ability to make the familiar feel slightly off-kilter, creating a sonic mirage that’s hypnotically beautiful yet haunted.
‘Sunset Boulevard’ succeeds as both a standalone statement and album preview, announcing McCabe as an artist capable of finding fresh angles on familiar themes. For a genre-defying opener, it delivers on that promise while maintaining coherence and emotional impact.
Stay tuned for the release of McCabe’s debut album on July 11th.
Find out more about McCabe on his Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
