Drawing us in with a count in, expanding into a glistening-rock soundscape, perfect for the incoming festive season, Sean MacLeod opens I Know Not with atmospheric and cerebral vocals as he exclaims, “This ain’t a reflex…”
The opus expands with thought-provoking lyrical depth and philosophical astuteness, something that we have come to appreciate from the visionary artist. There are existential themes at play here, about the human condition, our shared lived experience, and how we all perceive reality.
The song, produced with RobSonic, questions the universe and includes the hook “God only knows…”, which also references the iconic song of the same name by The Beach Boys. In addition to the fusion of 70s punk, 50s doo-wop, and 60s psychedelia, what makes the power-pop adjacent track very interesting is the use of microtonal tuning, Eastern flavours, and discordant vocals. Recorded at home using unsophisticated, lo-fi equipment, the track uniquely employs the microtonal scales first played on medieval lyres, later replicated by retuned percussion instruments.
We learn that I Know Not is taken from Sean MacLeod forthcoming fifth solo album, That’s When the Earth Becomes a Star, due in Spring 2026, alongside a separate experimental album titled We Don’t See What That We Don’t See. A former and founding member of the Dublin-based band Cisco, Sean previously recorded with Paul Barrett, a one-time producer for U2. Cisco achieved critical acclaim in Ireland and attracted international attention with their album No 1, before the band split.
We are always in awe of what Sean MacLeod creates, and have added I Know Not to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TRIPPY playlist, whilst we await the upcoming albums, and continue to stream the talented artist’s growing discography!