Looking Up
Self-Released, 2020
10/10
Although many of us won’t be familiar with the name Mike McClure, you may have heard of his former band, The Great Divide, who enjoyed a lengthy and esteemed career starting in the early ‘90s. On this installment of his Red Dirt influenced songs, McClure is accompanied by his partner Chrislyn Lawrence, as a reflective listen is birthed following a reinvention that involves getting sober.
“I Am Not Broken” starts the album with McClure’s gritty vocals alongside warm acoustic guitar as the tune picks up steam into a melodic and anthemic country rocker, and “Distractions” follows with an emotive spirit of cautious Americana that’s both soothing and playful.
Elsewhere, “Your Kind Of Blue” flows with breezy roots rock that parallels the greatness of Gary Louris, while “Orion” recruits well timed organ on the pretty yet tense album highlight. “Become Someday”, another exceptional tune, then offers country nods in a very precise landscape of timelessness.
“Little Bit Of Love” and “Sword And Saddle” exit the listen, where the former benefits from expressive storytelling as haunting strings and soothing vocals from Lawrence add much to the appeal, and the latter builds into a slightly more forceful execution of McClure’s stunning prowess that’s guided his massive arsenal of music.
McClure is at a great point in his life, and his song craft is benefitting from it, too, as this 10th solo record is one of the finest Americana efforts of 2020
Travels well with: The Jayhawks- XOXO; John Hiatt- The Eclipse Sessions