Joe McKee : Darling Hills

In launching his solo career, Joe McKee has been identified as the former frontman of Perth indie anarchists Snowman, which is confusing because he’s not a diminutive, vaguely threatening Southeast Asian kid. Joe was in fact the creative partner of Andy Citawarman, who was Snowman’s actual lead singer. Joel was the other guy in Snowman, who sang sometimes. None of this is really relevant, but I have column inches to fill. Joel’s first solo single has a touch of the Ned Collettes about it; it is a maudlin, arty drift of music, more texture than song, filled with sailing strings, icy drips of piano and Joel’s oddly formal, Andrew Lloyd Webber-ish baritone. If the Phantom were to drop some acid and wander about The Darling Ranges taking Instagram photos and crooning to himself, this is what it would sound like.