Provocative Aussie singer/songwriter
Kirin J. Callinan first came to prominence as the enigmatic guitarist for Sydney-based indie rockers
Mercy Arms before striking out on his own in 2009. Equal parts
Scott Walker,
Trent Reznor,
Birthday Party-era
Nick Cave,
Bryan Ferry, and
Patrick Wolf,
Callinan cuts a mercurial, often primal and androgynous figure, dabbling in everything from evocative electro-pop to arty, experimental rock.
His solo debut, the dense, difficult, and ultimately rewarding Terrible Records-issued
Embracism, was released in 2013.
Callinan moved to Caroline for his sophomore long-player Bravado, which featured guest appearances from
Mac DeMarco,
Weyes Blood,
James Chance,
Alex Cameron,
Connan Mockasin,
Owen Pallet,
Sean Nicholas Savage, and the Finn Family. The outing saw
Callinan flexing his EDM muscles while maintaining the nervy post-punk foundation that made his 2013 debut such a prickly affair. That same year saw
Callinan make his acting debut, appearing in the second season of director
Jane Campion's award-winning television drama Top of the Lake. In 2019, he released his third studio effort, the all-covers LP Return to Center, which featured reworked versions of songs by
the Waterboys,
Ultravox,
Momus, and
Robert Wyatt, among others. ~ James Christopher Monger