man called war is the stage name of iowa songwriter rob kelly. his newest EP is called 'broken circle'. the music is somber in tone; moody, dark songs produced in dark, lonely atmospheres, like the mist in the light of a dim streetlight on an empty street at night.
some of the melodies remind me of radiohead in the 'kid a' phase. rob's voice is malleable, it can go from fragile to assured, as suits the needs of the tales he tells. the quote from mystical/romantic poet rainer maria rilke that appears on the man called war bandcamp is not out of place. the title track is a trippy take on the well worn traditional 'can the circle be unbroken'. this album is a slow burner.
get it here.