You may not have heard of Mark Mulcahy but he has some very famous fans. A few years back when he went through the tremendous trauma of losing a loved one and was left to raise his children by himself, Michael Stipe, Thom Yorke and The National among others got together to record an album of Mulcahy's songs as a way to provide an income and to also encourage him to carry on writing.
The upshot is this new album, which is a tremendous set of “vignettes”, demonstrating the almost effortless skill at writing songs. Indeed, on this showing it's amazing that he isn't a superstar already. The songs are that good that you will be listening to this album for a long time.
There is such a wild range of songs on offer here that it would be impossible to pick them all apart. The starting point is a breezy acoustic base with lyrics both incisive and humorous over the top. Augmenting this is all manner of instruments creating a 60's psychedelic charm which Dave Davies from The Kinks may have appropriated at an earlier time in history.
Opening song ‘I Taketh Away’ starts in almost a desperate way to get his message across. Sounding grungy in its delivery, Mulcahy almost stumbles over his vocals, spitting them out. It's mesmerising and urgent and absolutely full of melody. This then sets up the rest of the album for its high powered drive through Americana.
Even the ballads offer a wry commentary on his subject and you get the feeling you wouldn't like to cross him. It's not that he's vindictive in a Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave way, this is more disparaging which has the ability to lighten the mood. Remember how Dylan made us sing along to ‘Just Like A Woman’, one of the most harsh pieces of music written? Mulcahy does the same.
Psychedelia covers this album and none more so than on ‘Poison Candy Heart’ which irritatingly sticks in your head for the rest of the day. Try and listen to this song without singing along at the top of your voice, like trying to light a match on jelly or swallow a fruit pastille, this is impossible.
Go ahead and get this album, we need to make sure that Mulcahy continues to write songs as good as these. This is a sparkling talent who is also humble about it. Effortless and delightfully melodic, this is what singer songwriting should always be about.
