[rating=9.00]
With ten albums to his credit and a career that resides well below the radar, Michael McDermott might have been forgiven had he simply chosen to chuck his ambitions entirely. It’s to his credit then that he did the exact opposite, with the result that Willow Springs emerges as one of his most pointed and provocative efforts yet. Taking its title from the small hamlet where McDermott lives with his wife and young daughter, it casts an inward gaze that finds him musing about the roller coaster route his life has taken thus far, replete with both triumph and failure, sadness and celebration.
In that regard, Willow Springs was envisioned as more than simply a tribute to the place he calls home. It emerged as a testimonial to a spiritual retreat where McDermott gathered his reserves and contemplated his circumstance. Choosing to self produce for the first time, he still kept to his comfort zone, gathering familiar faces to help bring the project to fruition. His long time producer Lex Price tackled a wide array of instrumental duties alongside guitarist Will Kimbrough, keyboard player John Deaderick, and McDermott’s wife and backing vocalist Heather Horton.
On the surface, it’s appears an unassuming effort, vintage Americana with a resilient edge. “These Last Few Days,” “Getaway Car,” “Half Empty Kinda Guy,” “One Minus One,” and the title track are cast in reflection and circumspect, illuminated through a vulnerability that’s both stark and subdued. “I don’t want to be a folksinger anymore,” McDermott declares on “Folksinger,” one of the most brazenly honest songs in the set. “I want to hit some big guitars, And see people dancing on the floor…”
It’s only natural that McDermott would want to change his tack. After all, given all the challenges he’s faced with record company inconsistency, struggles with his personal demons, and the need to retreat, louder might have been the better way to go at this point. Thankfully though he sticks with his strengths, making music that’s thoughtful, pensive, meaningful and melodic. Success is often measured by the impact made on others, and in that regard, the stories shared on Willow Springs are distinctly durable throughout.
