Mo Evans - Spilled My Love

Buy "Spilled My Love" EP here (Amazon UK)

As is the norm for this time of year, there are a lot of artists who've been around for a little while but now are being thrust towards a wider audience thanks to a never ending proliferation of "new for 2015" lists clogging up your facebook and twitter feeds. There is always treasure to be found within these lists and 19 year old Scots lad Mo Evans is one such gem. His song Spilled My Love will stop you in your tracks thanks to it's innate beauty and achingly heartfelt lyrics that are imbued with tangible emotion. It's actual poetry set to music as Mo delivers an impassioned and nuanced vocal that belies his youthful age and gives us a song that transcends genres and trends; focusing on mellifluous melody, perfectly placed instrumentation and a story that everyone can relate to. It's a narrative that's tinged with sadness and regret which is reflected by the melancholy pathos in the way that Mo's exquisitely soulful voice embodies the sentiments in play. He's backed initially (in the glorious Dean St studios version, above) by an acoustic guitar and a very subtle percussion which becomes a more prominent wall of sound as the song progresses (as if it is crescendoing to match the ferocity and intensity of the lyrics). The addition of a gospel backing vocal brings out the hymn like nature of the song, a truly elegant effect that accentuates how the refrain of the song feels like an invocation to bring back lost opportunities (with the choir providing solace from the experiences Mo sings about /has lived through). It's a song so open and honest that you instantly feel a connection with the singer in a way that makes the music more personal, identifying with its themes as if it was always written personally for you. It goes to show that whatever your age you can have these profound experiences that impact on you in a lasting way. While I wish Mr Evans nothing but good times ahead, if this is what comes out of his more negative experiences then I'm eager for more. Breathtaking in all the best ways possible.