Words by Millen Brown-Ewens

Oscar Browne’s debut EP packs a tender punch. Seamlessly blending folk with the soft synths of indie rock and roots music, If Only delivers a mature sound that cushions our decent into the wilderness. 

Far removed from the bustling streets of London that the singer calls home, the paced acoustic instrumentation provides ample space for his introspective lyricism to unfurl. Drawn from the hearth to the heath, we follow Browne across five tracks as he relates a relationship through its end to arrive at hopeful beginnings. The narrator shares his old-time honey timbre with the likes of John Martyn and Nick Drake yet glides closer to the soft rusted tones of Jake Bugg (circa 2013) and Ben Howard, serving up a melting pot of alt-folk goodness.

“Cut Me Off”– first released as a single in July of this year – is a beautiful initiation to this collection of tracks. While the tune swells with a sophisticated chorus of strings accompanied by both trumpet and flute, it never detracts from Browne’s articulate and emotionally charged storytelling. 

If Only’s release arrives in the midst of what many are calling a Brit-folk renaissance and Browne is at the eye of the storm. As a founding member of pioneering London collective Broadside Hacks – whose illustrious alumni include Katy J Pearson, Gently Tender and Naima Bock – he has firmly inserted himself into a talented set of young artists reinvigorating folk music across the UK.

“All Or Nothing” is surely the highlight of the EP. Browne himself describes it as capturing a moment of realisation: “Something that once meant everything to you, no longer feels the same which brings freedom instead of grief or loss. It’s an awareness that a new chapter of life is about to start, and a strange feeling of excitement is now overpowering those burdens of the past.”

The song writing structure of this set veers away from the beat driven atmosphere of Browne’s first single “Never Quite Right” finding its feet in a richly layered mood driven harmony. Zesty brass inflections peel apart melodies, and vocables whip around your ears like crisp air on an October evening. Settle down folks, Autumn’s arrived.

If Only was released 20/10/23 via So Young Records