8/10

Sebastian Gäbel’s debut as Desert Man is a fresh and riveting introduction to an artist beaming with emotive spirit. On his eagerly-awaited debut EP 'Love Kills', the Gothenburg-based artist trades sweeping declarations for sly cynicism, delivering a collection that’s as emotionally jaded as it is effortlessly cool.

Recorded between Berlin and LA, the EP brims with sun-scorched swagger and lo-fi haze. It’s indie-rock in its most tactile form, adopting warm tape textures, lazy grooves, and a vocal delivery that dances somewhere between knowing smirk and half-drunk epiphany.

There’s a glorious irreverence at the heart of 'Love Kills'. With lines that cut through love’s glossy façade like a razor, Desert Man lays bare the performative nature of modern romance without ever slipping into bitterness. The EP’s arrangement is deceptively tight, blending the woozy psychedelia of Jonathan Wilson with the laconic charm of Beck at his most introspective. Throw in some dusty percussion by Andres Renteria and it starts to shimmer with West Coast weirdness. Yet, for all its sun-faded vibes, there’s a European sharpness underpinning the whole affair, adding a dry wit that keeps things from floating too far into blissed-out territory.

With his Desert Man project, Gäbel is offering a sound that trades orchestral grandeur for stripped-back soul-searching, packed with barbed truths and oddly comforting nihilism. File this next to your favourite worn-out vinyls and road trip soundtracks.