Carson McHoneE STILL LIFE. Loose

Carson McHone is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Austin, Texas. She has released two records; a self-titled EP in 2013 and an album GOODLUCK MAN, released in 2015. In August 2017, Rolling Stone magazine named McHone as 1 of “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know”. On October 26, 2018, McHone released her second full-length album CAROUSEL on Nine Mile Records. Rolling Stone Magazine selected CAROUSEL as one of the “40 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2018.”

In describing her music, Nashville Scene Magazine says “she’s a young country singer who expresses herself through the form while avoiding the formalism that etiolates the work of many country purists.”

She released her 1st recording - the self-titled EP CARSON McHONE in 2013. She played the South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas for the 1st time that year. Shortly after that, she received an invitation to join the inaugural class of Project ATX6, which helped bring six Austin musicians to the NXNE (North By Northeast) Festival in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg, Germany.

‘Hawks Don’t Share’ represents a lively, upbeat introduction to this country-rock singer/songwriter. The melody and choruses are strong enough to feature on any mainstream radio station especially with the fuzz guitar moments. McHone has a natural vocal tone able to cover the range of notes. ‘Still Life’ follows at a slow pace with a very contemplative feel. McHone offers a most expressive vocal that matches the song’s melancholy and truthful tone. This is a beautiful and moving song with piano adding the finishing touch to what I think will be one of the year’s country best. The outro is a thing of wonder as all the emotions are melded together into one final angry crescendo.

“We drop in on a body in motion, in and out of light/When language fails, and there is only the feeling, the body has to keep moving.”

‘Fingernail Moon’ sheds the rocky vibe to present a most fragile, glacially-paced song with angelic backing vocals and a melody made in heaven. The instrumental passages are beautifully judged while the vocal is deeply moving. ‘Fingernail Moon’ returns to a rocky vibe, while ‘Someone Else’ reminds me of a Beatles acoustic moment. McHone’s voice is altered to sound mellow and even more thoughtful. It’s another beauty! ‘Sweet Magnolia’ continues the high musical quality albeit with even more emotion and expression. The melody and ability to move are substantial.

‘Only Lovers’ is a rhythmic, funky diversity with a vintage edge to it. Brilliant! ‘End Of The World’ sounds like the singer is talking quietly in your ear, while ‘End Of The World’ moves at glacial pace and moves as much as any song here. ‘Trim The Rose’ lifts the pace and adds a folky edge, with its rhythmic backdrop and a vocal that changes again. Concluding ‘Tried’ opens with a gently plucked guitar as McHone enters with a fragile folk vocal that rises and falls like ocean waves. Beautiful!!

For any country fan this represents an essential record. It provides a number of emotional messages beautifully matched to vocal and instruments. Production is perfect while the lady projects an ability and talent that will see her on to greater things.

4.5/5

http://www.carsonmchonemusic.com/