Between 2022 and 2024, Róisín McCarney released several excellent singles. Whether covering other artists in her own image (turning the Spice Girls’ classic ‘Wannabe’ into a swaggering, rock-pop statement that ends up sounding more like something from Sheryl Crow crossed with Shania Twain), or sharing her own voice on newly written songs, the Scottish singer set herself in place as one to watch. Her contribution to DJ Aaron Kennedy’s single ‘All Night’ proved that her voice was also well equipped to handle dance oriented material, and by the time she appeared as a contender on the BBC’s Saturday night TV show ‘The Voice’ – applying her talents to Blondie’s classic ‘Call Me’ – it seemed as if there wasn’t anything that she couldn’t sing with aplomb.
Róisín’s long awaited EP ‘Guess Who’ offers a handful of tracks that give a broad overview of her talents. As the title suggests, it plays more like a CV than a focused statement of intent, but for those who’ve followed McCarney’s career to date, the material will present a very enjoyable selection of tunes.
As opening gambit, the earlier single ‘Car Chase’ is given the task of setting the mood. From the outset, the arrangement places pulsing rhythms beneath a very strong vocal. The music leans towards the mechanical, more than occasionally harking back to Michael Sembello’s ‘Maniac’, but Roisin helps to give a familiar sound a very different slant due to an immediately catchy wordless vocal refrain. Moving into the verse, despite a few echoing effects, a pleasingly frantic melody makes the very best of her impressive vocal talent. There are a couple of moments where that melody threatens to slip into something Stevie Nicks-esque, but in the main, it captures a far more modern pop sheen, and sounds huge when calling out the track’s simple hook. Between an enthused performance from Róisín and an all round busy feel, this is a number that’s guaranteed to build her fan base, despite being as different from the earlier ‘Dancing With The Devil’ as that single had been from the even earlier ‘Mr. Right Now’.
Leaning further into an adult pop sound on its verse, ‘The Juggler’ really doesn’t shy away from sharing something radio friendly. The big vocal tones come with a suitably shiny production; the lyrical hooks come with a brilliantly sugary quality, and the buoyant melody that’s dominant throughout aims to push that feel-good button. Best of all, though, are the nods to Fleetwood Mac that run through the core of the number, from the steady rhythm driven by a very John McVie inspired bass, to Roisin’s own vocal, which is peppered on occasion with tones that would’ve suited Stevie Nicks back in those chaotic ‘Tusk’ days. That’s not all, however. There’s even time within these two and a half minutes to throw in a synth heavy middle eight whilst Róisín uses the title to create a massive earworm, switching the mood from an adult friendly pop to a bigger and more sugary sound that harks back to Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ days.
Stoking up the mechanical elements and a fat bass tone, ‘Talk Dirty To Me’ adds elements of 90s R&B, an almost Mediterranean sounding guitar and a sultry retro Ibiza vibe, working a very different musical palette, Róisín’s confident vocals provide a common link with the previous tracks, however, and there are moments here where she introduces a slightly gravelly edge to her performance for extra sass in a way that works effectively in contrast with the pop sheen. The performance doesn’t feature her projecting as much, however, which takes a slight cue from Billie Eilish in its own way. To get the best from this track, it’s actually best heard as a stand alone listen. In contrast, ‘73%’ immediately aims to grab the listener’s attention with a huge slab of synth pop that places superb pulsebeats and melodic stabs beneath a sprawling pop vocal. It has a superb energy, and in breathing life into a contemporary pop sound, it’s the perfect vehicle for McCarney’s talent. There isn’t really anything about this track that stands out as new or unique at the time of release, but it really doesn’t aim to break new ground: this is about showing off Roisin in a near perfect pop scenario – and, on that score, it does a fantastic job.
The weak link here comes in the shape of a cover of Blondie’s classic ‘Call Me’, which reworks the disco infused banger into a shinier pop vehicle. It suits McCarney’s voice, and she performs with her typical amount of enthusiasm, but after so many years of the Blondie track becoming a staple – almost played to the point of over-familiarity – it’s really hard to accept it retooled in such a sugary fashion and playing with a very different vocal. After the track helped to bring Róisín to a bigger audience, it was obviously a given that this recording would make the cut for this release, but the inclusion of her earlier single ‘Villain’ – a perfect pop-rock number, featuring one of Roisin’s very best vocals – would have made ‘Guess Who’ feel so much stronger.
Those who’ve enjoyed some of Róisín’s earlier singles will definitely find something to enjoy here. ‘Guess Who’ isn’t perfect, but It’s worth the small price of a download for ‘Car Chase’ and the genuinely fantastic ‘73%’, the latter offering something that could rival ‘Villain’ as the best song in McCarney’s catalogue so far. Naturally, some tracks play more strongly than others, but this EP’s best tracks create a great showcase for a rising talent who’s still taking some very important steps on her musical journey.
April 2025