Mac Powell and the Family Reunion
Aug 9, 2018 CD Reviews
Mac Powell and the Family Reunion
Self-titled
Independent
10 tracks @ 34:19
Grade = D+
At the end of his new band’s set at Lifest in Oshkosh, WI, singer Mac Powell extolled the crowd, “I have one more thing to tell you.” Something profound? “Buy my new record.” Guess not.
If you’ve listened to either of Mac’s two solo projects, you know he has a thing for country music. And that’s what this new project is-country music. And while there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with country music (I like Kasey Musgraves for example), this disk is riddled with country music clichés.
The chorus from the opening track “Back Again” goes like this;
“Can’t keep myself still; Gotta get my fill.”
Really clever, right? That’s about as deep as it gets.
“Whoo!” is a country-cliché party song while the gag-inducing “I’m Beginning to Wonder” is an “of course it’s all the girl’s fault” relationship abomination. Two songs open with a reference to being 5-years old. How original (insert sarcasm).
Two songs, “Flood Waters” and “Heaven” could cross over to Christian radio but if that’s you’re listening preference don’t bother getting the entire disk. In fact, if interested, check out ebay. You might be able to get (my) disk for dirt cheap. Out it goes. The instrumentation is fine, throw in a slide guitar! But the separate channel mix on the jam that ends “Heaven” is really annoying to listen to on headphones.
You can catch Mac Powell taking about this project via the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IwtijOY_vQ
– Rob S.
