Cass McCombs Weaves Pop, Rock and Indie-folk into Stirring Songs on ‘Heartmind’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

With a career spanning two decades, Cass McCombs has managed to make a name for himself in the indie-folk scene by infusing bits of punk and psychedelia into his works. After garnering critical acclaim with 2009’s Catacombs, McCombs has continued to release consistently great albums and built up a steady following of fans. Having never been one to actively reach for the spotlight, McCombs has steadily crafted well-regarded albums that seems to personal and heartfelt with a refusal to “sell out.”

McCombs newest album, Heartmind, opens with “Music Is Blue,” an upbeat melodic track about music and how it can leave you “blue” after so long. This is followed by the power pop of “Karaoke,” which is definitely the standout track on the album. McCombs weaves an analogy of love and heartbreak with the question whether the words of a lover are real or “just karaoke.” “Unproud Warrior” finds McCombs in the position of storyteller as he sings of a soldier that has left the service. The track features backing vocals by Wynonna Judd with her husband Cactus Moser on lap steel. On “Blue Blue Band,” McCombs again takes on the vestiges of a troubadour as he tells of a band that plays for years in a hometown bar for the regulars that change over years as they keep doing the same gig. “Belong to Heaven” weaves a funky guitar lick over the drums playing rim shots as McCombs harmonizes beautifully with Danielle Haim. The album closes with the titular track and clocks in at over eight minutes; “Heartmind” is a psychy jam with ambient noises, erratic drums, reverberating saxophones, and Uilleann pipes (bagpipes).

At only eight tracks, Heartmind is a perfect length to listen to multiple times. If a song doesn’t grab you the first time around, upon repeat listens the nuances that are layered throughout tend to pop out and give the listener a new appreciation for it. Cass McCombs has once again shown why he is one of the most well-regarded songwriters in his genre.

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