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Elly Roberts reviews
One Little Indian
- Released: March 2008
- Rating: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:
Chicago man doesnt look backing anger. Just disappointment.
Noise From Words is Michael McDermotts eighth album, and lovelyit is too. Imaging Bruce Springsteen without all the epic songs. This has manyflashes of the Boss modest but majestic Nebraska. His vocal style is quitesimilar too.
Chicago-based McDermotts songwriting is epic in a kind of understated way,with many of these songs potentially gracing radio station playlists, becausethey have just enough commercial edge. Theres not a moment wasted in delivering hisdeeply autobiographical and often confessional work such as Country-tingedMess Of Things and I Shall Be Healed are book-ending clues ofwhats going on here.
Still Aint Over You Yet is a remorseful tale of love lost and longing.Addiction and recovery are parts of the process, so power to his elbow in exorcisingwhatever demons hes confronted head-on. In short, this is a musical catharsis,though we dont get sucked into his problems as it never borders on themelancholic. We get the feeling of hope being a saviour, which seems to have workedfor him.
Baring your soul can be tricky. McDermott does it without getting bogged downwhich makes this such a success, and maybe, just maybe, a little lesson in lifefor us all.
There are some achingly beautiful moments on offer like the twin acoustic lead attacksof All My Love, Just A Little Blue and Broken where you can feelthe pain. The heartache is palpable. In sharp contrast, upbeat The American In Meshows his patriotic side which has all the qualities of an excellent radio-friendlysingle.
File under: Reflective beauty.
Weblink:micheal-mcdermott.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Mess Of Things
2. Still Aint Over You Yet
3. Tread Lightly
4. The American In Me
5. A Kind Of Love Song
6. No Words
7. All My Love
8. Just A Little Blue
9. Broken
10. A Long Way From Heaven
11. My Fathers Son
12. I Shall Be Healed
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.