CONCERT REVIEW
Cormac McCarthy's ordinary heroes
by Seth Rogovoy(NORTH ADAMS, Mass., March 10, 1997) -- Near the end of his show at Milltown Studios on Sunday evening, singer-songwriter Cormac McCarthy joked that he lives "in a very personal, subjective universe" where his personal philosophy is of "total and complete self-absorption and subjectivity." As with any joke, there was some truth to this one. On the surface, many of McCarthy's original songs boast a highly personal and subjective point of view. What makes him one of the finest contemporary songwriters, however, is that these artfully constructed, self-reflective tunes also reflect back on their listeners, illuminating universal aspects of their lives from perspectives that only a highly subjective artist could suggest.
In another well-attended concert of the Music on Main Street series, McCarthy treated the crowd to a selection of his traditionally- flavored, contemporary folk songs drawn from his two fine albums, "Troubled Sleep" and "Picture Gallery Blues" (both Green Linnet). Mixing straightforward love songs, novelty tunes and dramatic ballads, McCarthy was an engaging, if somewhat erratic performer _ not at the top of his form, but still a stellar example of how to make strangers feel like long-lost friends through the magic of his craft.
In well-worn folk tradition, many of the narrators of McCarthy's songs find themselves doing battle with seemingly invincible forces, both external and internal. Thus, "A Married Man" was a serio-comic portrayal of a groom's impending nuptials, which McCarthy introduced as illustrating the maxim that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."
In "Waltz With the Captain's Daughter," the singer found himself a mere tool of industry, even when he was getting it on with the boss's daughter. "The Immigrant Gangster" portrayed a new arrival to these shores driven to crime out of desperation to feed his starving family.
"Blue Cadillac" told the true-to-life story of country legend Hank Williams from inside Williams's psyche, damaged by an embittered mother who raised him to believe he was "no good...as useless as your father was/White trash....nothing but a shoeshine boy." McCarthy's delivery captured the pathos of the figure without sentimentality but with chilling empathy, suggesting more than a bit of identification with the subject.
McCarthy set his narratives of struggle in conventional folk forms with hints of country and blues. Although his voice was limited, especially in the upper ranges where it seemed to stay in his head, his melodies were always clear and often downright gorgeous. As always, his guitar playing boasted a deep, rich tone with dynamic finger-picking. He occasionally accompanied himself on harmonica, too, adding color and texture to his rootsy, heartfelt portraits of the heroism implicit in everyday life.
Lisa McCormick warmed up the crowd for McCarthy with a set of her own original compositions. McCormick boasts a good voice and some great tunes that don't quit at the limits of what is normally considered "folk." Her song "Cars, Cars, Relationships" built a Chrissie Hynde-like vocal atop a funk riff borrowed from Talking Heads, for example. McCormick was betrayed, however, by a weak stage manner that doesn't support the heaviness, both musical and lyrical, of much of her material. No doubt in time her presence _ and her guitar playing _ will improve to match the high quality of her writing.
[This review originally appeared in the Berkshire Eagle on March 11, 1997. Copyright Seth Rogovoy 1997. All rights reserved.]
Seth Rogovoy
rogovoy@berkshire.net
music news, interviews, reviews, et al.
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