The Other Side Reviewstrack of the day

Track of the Day: Dessie Magee – Restrain

Difficult to place in a specific genre (or sub-genre for that matter), Dessie Magee is a boundary-breaking act in the realm of Bon Iver and Lonely The Brave. Merging the power of alternative rock and intimacy of folk-rock, Magee shares a part of his soul with his listeners. Already critically acclaimed, Magee has featured on blogs like When The Horn Blows, Indie Obsessive, Never Enough Music and many more. He has also supported Van Morrison and performed at Brighton music festivals in 2018 and 2019 so he seems to know what he’s doing. Taken off his latest EP, ‘Restrain’ is our Track of the Day.



Produced in his Brighton home studio (also known as his bedroom), Dessie Magee combines thoughtful lyricism atop a soul-stirring melody. While the majority of his music adopts a folk-rock sound, ‘Restrain’ has a more alternative rock-influenced style. Touching on the topics of self-control, self-awareness and self-identity, ‘Restrain’ can easily be used in those coming-of-age dramas at the Sundance Festival.

Reminiscent of Stone Sour and Three Days Grace, ‘Restrain’ showcases the intensity of dynamic instrumentation with the overwhelming intimacy of thought-provoking lyricism. A delve into feelings of inner turmoil, Magee expertly executes the poetic lyricism infusing a flowing melody with deeper content. A slight Northern Irish inflexion can be heard in the gruff vocals, which I find particularly charming and effective in “baring his soul” to the world – an unconscious personal touch.

Addictive, introspective and reflective with a hint of melancholy, ‘Restrain’ is a swirl of sound that will roll about your brain, reverberate down your spine and fill your chest with a painfully seductive bubble of awesomeness.

For more from Dessie Magee check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.

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