Australian artist inspired by soul

Jaimie McDonald, For the Review

Meg Mac, a soul-inspired singer out of Sydney, Australia, is not yet making waves in the United States. Her gorgeous voice and the masterful production of her eponymous EP are sure to propel her into the alternative charts soon, however.

With only five tracks, the MEGMAC EP still shows the potential breadth and depth of Mac’s artistry. Starting with “Roll Up Your Sleeves,” Mac presents an optimistic, pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps chorus of “everything is gonna be alright / roll up your sleeves.” The chords on this song feel straight out of a gospel song, as they bounce down the scale from the fourth scale degree. Combined with the clap track on the weak beats and the catchy oohing on the chorus, this song is a perfect Grey’s Anatomy soundtrack choice.

On “Turning,” Mac takes a darker approach in her lyrical choices, stating that we “built this world on a false love.” In an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, Mac described her inspiration for the song as “the strange hold money has on people and how it turns good people against each other.”

The religious imagery of a “false love” is paired with Mac’s use of a church organ rather than a piano backtrack. The resounding chords provide a strong, full and bass-heavy accompaniment to Mac’s soulful singing. Her dark voice is suited to the chromatic ascending and descending strings on the bridge section, as well as the gamelan-inspired chimes.

The centerpiece of the EP is a cover of soul singer Bill Withers’ track, “Grandma’s Hands.” Mac adds a thumping bass and her own howling interpretation of the opening moans from Withers’ original. Those moans, famously sampled on the opening of Blackstreet’s “No Diggity,” grow on Mac’s version with a three-part harmony that drives the track forward even as the beat drags backward. This is a beautiful and soaring interpretation of the classic soul song that falls away with repeated iterations of “grandma’s hands / grandma’s hands.”

The most intriguing track of the EP is “Every Lie.” The track starts with a staccato, three-part introduction and a pushing synthetic organ track. There is a wonderful push and pull between the verses and the chorus, which helps the song build and plateau—then build again—over the course of its short-lived three minutes. Lyrically, Mac sings about the hurt of discovering the lies of her lover and then postulates about how many other lies were left undiscovered. She’s left them and now wants to “release my soul beneath my naked bones.” The imagery, if a bit fuzzy, is beautiful and freeing.

Mac may not have reached many ears outside of Australia yet, but her music’s dark themes and soulful lyrics are in line with the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse and Lorde. Mac’s EP uses her powerful vocals, gospel-derived chord progressions and inspiration from American soul to create five tracks worth devoted listening time. Hopefully more music will come from this Australian newbie in the future.

Note: currently, this EP is only available to American listeners here: https://soundcloud.com/megmacmusic

Jaimie McDonald can be reached at [email protected]