Review: Reno McCarthy’s latest release, Angels Watching Us Dance

Review: Building on the success of his debut album Counterglow, Reno McCarthy’s newest EP Angels Watching Us Dance delves into a much more vulnerable style. In contrast to Counterglow’s sultry, alternative grooves and catchy melodies, Angels Watching Over Us is a much more exposed version of McCarthy’s Alternative Pop style. He seems to have abandoned the idea of genre and crafted his own voice with the stripped-down arrangements of acoustic guitar and raw vocals interspersed with some electronic pads and piano.

This especially prevalent in my personal favorite song on the EP, Angels. The song has playful and hopeful lyrics, but are delivered in a wistful, almost somber tone. An example is “When all is said and done, will you take what you can give, ‘cause you give me everything”. As well as “I believe in the end angels will be watching when we dance”. The lyrics don’t explicitly say the scenario allowing the listener to imprint their own loss of a loved one, for example, on the story. This album is easy to get lost in and feel a deep connection to the world according to Reno McCarthy.