- Just over a year since his debut album, Mikey Bee aka Mt Warning has released a follow up EP, Petrified Heart. It’s a rather unconventional move – traditionally the EPs come before a fully-fledged album. Sometimes this devolution of format can be prompted by an attempt to reimagine or even totally reset what has come before, but that is certainly not the case here. If anything, the EP seamlessly blends into the back of 2014’s Midnight Set.

Petrified Heart was written and recorded by Bee in his garage studio in Byron Bay, not all that far from the northern New South Wales coastal area that his moniker is derived from. To say that it’s been a solo project doesn’t nearly explain just how introspective, personal and individualistic this record really is. According to Bee himself, Petrified Heart was a true catharsis, which he needed to face and work on alone.

The EP’s opener and lead sing, When It All Bleeds Out is a slow building indie-rock track driven by an acoustic guitar with a stripped back rhythm section and some soft, electronic synth flourishes. Bee’s lower vocal register is one of Mt Warning’s biggest assets, setting him apart from many of his contemporaries. Having said that, comparisons to Germany’s recent successful export, Milky Chance feel appropriate here, though there’s more a sense of the two complimenting each other in style, rather than being blatantly ‘samey.’

Black Moon is a little underwhelming, seemingly dwarfed by the tracks before and after it, though it serves to build the lyrical narrative of love and apologies quite well. I Want You To Be My Girlfriend This Century is all about the simple guitars and softly reverbed vocals. Bee’s lyrics are poetic yet hauntingly forlorn as he laments the obstacles that stand between him and the object of his affection.

Whatever prompted Mt Warning to release an EP, ultimately it was a good choice. Rushing follow-ups can be risky, and this format has allowed for the exploration of new material and a shift in style that is perhaps a little too nuanced to require a full album. Any longer, and the dreamy, soft soundscapes and introspective vocals would definitely have grown tiresome, but as it stands Petrified Heart runs with a simple perfection. It’s always nice to see an artist apply the lessons of previous recordings -or even those learned from fellow artists- to their new material, and it will be interesting to see what Mt Warning takes from this EP when crafting his next full-length record.

- Clare Armstrong.