New single 'I Know Not' out now from Sean MacLeod
- Richard Blowes
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
I Know Not is the latest single from ex Cisco guitarist Sean MacLeod and shows him leaning into his avant-garde side ahead of a new album in 2026
Single: I Know Not
Artist: Sean MacLeod
Released: December 5 2025
Earlier in 2025 Sean MacLeod released a full length album New Start which highlighted his ability to write catchy, indie pop mixing chiming guitars with US West Coast melodic harmonies - Sweetness is the best song Teenage Fanclub never wrote and I've Seen You Around could have been on Pet Sounds.
What a joy to find a musician who, instead of resting on his laurels and the legacy of his previous work, produces a pop single as experimental yet fulfilling as I Know Not. We love it.
I Know Not is the new single release from his upcoming album That's When the Earth Becomes a Star and listeners expecting more of the same may be in for a sonic shock. The conventional 1-2-3-4 count in and two chord guitar strum (reminiscent of Elvis' (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame) is overlaid with an atonal percussive backing which initially disorientates ears accustomed to Western musical tones.
As Sean's vocals come in there is a nod to David Byrne's "you may find yourself ..." lists in Talking Heads' Once in a Lifetime. The verses are half sung, half spoken in an experimental melody with some quavery falsetto thrown in for good measure, channeling 80s torch singers such as Billy Mackenzie or Marc Almond. It is somewhat jarring but jolts us out of the passive listening which has become more normalised in the streaming era. It makes you pay attention.
And there is a payoff for your attention as the chorus arrives. Drawing on 50s doo-wop and the Wall of Sound of Phil Spector or The Beach Boys, it's as sweet and commercial as the verse was atonal and challenging. As he muses on whether there is a "rational explanation for the workings of our soul", the final line ending "God only knows" is simply gorgeous.
What a joy to find a musician who, instead of resting on his laurels and the legacy of his previous work, produces a pop single as experimental yet fulfilling as I Know Not. We love it.
Sean T MacLeod is a former and founding member of the Dublin based band Cisco. Having recorded with U2's Paul Barrett the band achieved critical acclaim in Ireland as well as intense interest abroad. Since the split of the band Sean has been recording and releasing his own solo work. He will soon his 5th solo album That's When the Earth Becomes a Star in Spring 2026.
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss out on gig info and our latest deals
Comments