The Man From Another Place, The Loneliest Cowboy EP

By John Lane

There’s something a-brewing in Scotland, and aye, I believe it has the whiff of genius. (Macbeth, Scotland, witches reference—anyone? Bueller?)

The Man From Another Place (a.k.a. Dan Hirst) has proven himself to perhaps be the next incarnation of Burt Bacharach, providing five cinematic tunes on his debut EP that defy the listener to not daydream or soul-search. The title itself, The Loneliest Cowboy, hints at its instrumental-only air, suggesting a mute cowboy who wistfully ambles along with his ol’ horse and lets the music in his head do the talking while visualizing sweeping country vistas.

TMFAP himself dubs his music “soundtrack music to a lost film,” which is appropriate as his melodies conjure up a combination of Morricone/Tati/Ford; more directly, there’s a musical kinship to Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, where convention is turned on its head.

The EP opens with the sweepingly glorious “The Loneliest Cowboy,” featuring panoramic horn and orchestral sounds, which blissfully engulf the listener. This is the kind of track that separates the craftsman from the dabbler. (The photograph of chopped lumber on the back sleeve clues us into the fact that TMFAP is in fact, a craftsman.)

Turning landscapes around, TMFAP follows with “A Recluse Goes Ice Skating,” its shimmering wintry beauty suggesting Vince Guaraldi/Charlie-Brown-Christmas except perhaps a bit older and wiser.

The remaining tracks (“IYS,” “Guess Who’s Back In Town,” and “Spelunking [Part 1]”) all have their unique charms. These songs as a whole demand attention, albeit in a subtle and sublime way.

My only regret about this smashing debut is that A) the film does not exist and B) that this is only an EP instead of a full-length album. Other than that, The Man From Another Place is poised to take his rightful position among new artists that definitely need to be heard.

To listen to or purchase the EP and to find out more about The Man From Another Place, check out the band’s website or MySpace page.