It's never a good idea to compare one artist to another. But it's hard to ignore the similarities between Michael McDermott and say, Bruce Springsteen. Or John Hiatt. At least that is what I hear on his new one, "St Paul's Boulevard." There's a tone in McDermott's voice that makes him occasionally sound a bit like Jon Bon Jovi, as well. Now if you aren't fan of those aforementioned artists, then maybe you'd be put off of listening to McDermott's excellent new record, which is why comparisons aren't always helpful. But I urge you to give this record a shot. Once it began, it was hard to turn off, as each song was more special than the one before.
Michael McDermott has been making music since 1991! I've sold his records in my shop and my shop has been closed for 17 years. Yet, I can't recall ever hearing any one of his releases in its entirety. Until now.
"St. Paul's Boulevard" is full of great stories and great choruses, and while I consider myself one of Springsteen's biggest fans, I have no problem saying that Michael McDermott's hand is not quite as heavy as The Boss's, which makes this record breeze on by. This is songwriting at its finest. Get started with these three songs because after a full pass, I went right back to this trio.
Special thanks to our friend Troy, who has been singing McDermott's praises for years. Your persistence has paid off. "St. Paul's Boulevard" is a winner.
9 comments:
Thanks, Sal. Really glad you enjoyed the album! Thanks for putting up with me going on & on about how good he is. I can't say I hear JBJ in there, but maybe that's just me :)
IMO, Michael has had a string of really strong releases, going back to 2016's Willow Springs album. Followed by Out From Under, Orphans, and the excellent What in the World. They are available on the streaming services, and deserve to be heard. He's been on a roll. He's a terrific songwriter and all-around good guy.
Have a great week ahead,
Troy
Troy,
The JBJ reference was mostly about the tone of his voice. "Where The Light Gets In" at times sounds like JBJ to my ears. Def a good thing.
I actually hear shades of Micah Schnabel ( a good thing) with a bit less scratch in the vocal.
Anyone hear a little Mark Knofler-type guitar on "Outer Drive)? My favorite on the album but the whole collection is really terrific.
Dude! Within 2 seconds I knew "Where The Light Gets In" is my new favorite song.
It is indeed a close cousin to Hiatt's "Child Of The Wild Blue Yonder" which is a very cool match for me. Buying that and checking out his other songs now...
p.s. This song also reminds me a bit of The Fireman's "Sun Is Shining"
Thank you for the recommendation , always great to find something new and this is terrific
I definitely hear Jon Bon Jovi in the singing and phrasing
Never thought I'd see MM featured anywhere, but here we are.
I discovered him in the mid-nineties. he put out a self-titled album. I found it in a local library. I decided to take a flyer on it, and I ended up playing it on repeat for mont6hs after. I definitely recommend that record if one can find it.
That self titled album is in my top 5 of all time. I'm pretty sure it is now available on the streaming platforms.
We went to see Michael in bars around Chicago all the time back then.
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