Pat McGee
In this review, I’ll be taking a look at Pat McGee and his new record self-titled record. The single from the album is ‘Take The Long Way,’ and it’s accompanied by twelve other tracks, making it a notably longer album than your typical collection of songs. So, we’ll delve into the highlights of the record to discern a verdict.
To lend some context to ‘Pat McGee,’ it’s helpful to know a bit about the veteran singer-songwriter. This is his tenth outing, recorded with a powerhouse band of legendary musicians in Los Angeles last year. It’s a fully original effort, inspired by the music that McGee grew up with. The Pat McGee band itself has been around for nineteen years now, and it’s certainly made the rounds with hundreds of live shows over the years.
Immediately, ‘Pat McGee’ does indeed sound a tad retro. He cites that inspirations for the record were a culmination of 1970’s classic rock. Right from the getgo with the infectiously sweet ‘Bad Idea,’ McGee has the aura of some of the best music from classic rock’s greatest decade. If I was to make a direct comparison, I’d probably align his music with the Eagles; it has the suave, freewheeling sound of Don Henley and company.
‘Overboard’ is a beautifully composed song as well, one that features Pat Monahan. (Yes, the guy from Train. Isn’t that amazing?!) The single for the record, ‘Take The Long Way,’ embraces the best of the sounds from ‘Pat McGee.’ It has a bit of a Nashville sound to it along with elements of the blues, country, poprock, and the west coast. It’s definitely easy music to listen to; McGee croons elegantly through each song with extreme tact.
Other highlights of Pat McGee’s tenth album include ‘Caroline,’ ‘Kite String,’ and the country twanging ‘Trial By Fire.’ Again, McGee’s resemblance to the Eagles is a bit uncanny. From ‘Bad Idea’ to the excellent ‘Jack’s Song,’ the album continually delights the listener. Perhaps the only negative of ‘Pat McGee’ is that it’s a tad long. Thirteen tracks is a bit of a trek. With that said, it’s still one of the best albums I’ve reviewed thus far in 2015, one certainly worth the time of any music lover.
Purchase Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/pat-mcgee/id972237400
Brett Stewart