There’s something raw and beautifully jaded about “Love Kills“. As Desert Man, Sebastian Gäbel steps out from the shadows of orchestras and collaborations to deliver a solo project that doesn’t just shimmer, it punches. This EP feels like a desert fever dream written with a Les Paul in one hand and a wry smirk in the other, and the live-tracked drums and guitars give the grit and warmth of the song, it breathes like a real band playing in a real room.
“Penelope” is the EP’s indie-pop flashbang, carrying that ‘90s alt-rock DNA with a melodic melancholy that sticks. “Desire Lines” follows suit with big, grungy energy, and it’s my best track of the EP. But beneath the sarcasm and swagger, there’s a heart. Desert Man’s voice, somewhere between detached narrator and reluctant romantic, holds it all together.
This EP doesn’t beg for your attention; it earns it. If “Love Kills” hits you as it did me, give Desert Man a follow; you’ll want to hear what he digs up next.
