The album opens with “Safe Home”. It is a gentle reminder of just how his music paints pastel scenes of a moment in time, in life, and in all of us. “Next To You” follows, as an unashamed song of love delivered in his soft baritone and easy acoustic style. “Since You Asked” justifies just why people wait on his every well written verse in recognition of his poetic ability to catch a moment and bottle an emotion.
One of the tracks that will, no doubt, gather the most attention is the ballad entitled “McConnville’s”. It is an emotionally charged and cloyingly tragic story of whisky, early death, and a lost friend. It is straight out of the Country tradition of somewhat over stated sentimentality in an effectively simplistic story telling style. It will leave you staring wistfully into your empty glass.
“What’s For You” continues that feeling with a song of similarly charged lament. “I’ve been thinking about the ones that can’t be here, every drop I’m drinking, seems to draw them near”.
“Medusa” weaves powerful imagery in one of the album’s potential highlights and forms a dramatic pairing with the next track “Twister”. This is a deceptively upbeat sounding song of the slowly building power of storms and how they can occur in relationships. This is, of course, very relevant for those who find themselves identifying with the ‘can’t live with, and can’t live without you’, theory.
The fresh breezes of “Leave Town” and “Circle Of Stone” are the very definition of gentle easy listening. They close the album leaving you feeling warm in the face of the approaching winter. Whilst not necessarily being an album that would be wise to prescribe to anyone suffering the results of one of life’s disasters it is still a highly engaging and rewarding trip through the music of James Keelaghan.
For more information, interviews, and live dates please visit James Keelaghan's official website.
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