https://soundcloud.com/emmettmccleary/m-avenue/s-HG8Ll

Emmett McCleary claims to write “earnest music for earnest people,” and we couldn’t agree more. The simplicity of his sound and complexity of his conviction is setting McCleary up to be a reoccurring theme in your music library.

The Bostonian born boy has created an aurally weightless and seemingly effortless gem with “M. Avenue.” The walking-on-a-dream-pop tune follows the much praised “Dream Lover,” both in anticipation of his upcoming debut LP, “There’s a Better Something.” With hushed vocals and subtly obvious lyrics, the track perfectly paints that inevitably “overwhelming” feeling of going out and feeling “stuck inside a tired lifestyle.” The combination of 60’s-70’s pop influence, his time in Montreal, and a suburban life of the past has helped to create a sense of musical urgency for McCleary, and the sensibly pop structure that results in an undeniable resonance.

Emmett says,

This is basically a song about getting out of the house. Left to my own devices, I turn into a shut-in - I can go days without seeing anyone and not think about it, only later realizing how lonely and adrift I feel. After a while, you feel like you’re just watching things happen around you. Having someone reach out and liberate you from that cycle makes all the difference in the world, even if it’s just going for a walk or a ride around the block. I tried to make “M. Avenue” reflect that feeling of things getting better.

2.24 - Montréal @ La Vitrola 2.25 - Philadelphia @ Tralfamadore 2.26 - NYC @ Pianos (w/ Palm Pilot and Watergh0st) 3.1 - Boston @ O’Brien’s 3.2 - Amherst @ The Flip 3.3 - Middletown @ Wesleyan University 3.4 - Burlington @ Handsome House

Cereal Pairing: Magic Stars, because you’ll feel up in the air with this song.