Bucket List
Appalseed, 2021
9/10
A singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has spent the last 50 years crisscrossing the world playing music from his vast catalog of songs, John McCutcheon spent his quarantine time wisely by penning even more albums, including Bucket List, his 42nd.
The title track starts the listen with Stuart Duncan’s warm fiddle complementing McCutcheon’s wise, soothing vocals that make an immediate impression, and this thoughtful formula continues to the precise keys and expressive singing from McCutheon on the poetic “Be Still”, as well as the bare and soulful “It’s Not”.
The middle tracks offer us Jon Carroll’s strategic percussion on the flowing “The Other”, while “Used To” brings much elegance to the McCutcheon’s vivid storytelling, something he’s been known for since the ‘70s. “Moonshiner” then showcases McCutcheon’s banjo prowess amid the rural spirit that’s both timeless and infectious.
Closer to the end, “The Hinge” uses talking playfully, as McCutcheon’s prose has us hanging on every word, and “Zilphia’s Piano” exits the listen with McCutcheon’s strong pipes illuminating the universally enjoyable folk sensibilities that have hallmarked his career.
It’s no surprise that McCutcheon has picked up 6 Grammy nominations and seen praise from names like Johnny Cash, cause the Wisconsin native can pen a song you won’t soon forget, and this installment has 18 of them.
Travels well with: Steve Goodman- It Sure Looked Good On Paper: The Steve Goodman Demos; Todd Snider- Cash Cabin Sessions, Vol. 3