Nashville-via-Fort Hood, Texas singer-songwriter Mary McGuinness channels her 70s inspirations on her new album, Shadowcatcher.
Release Date: 26th January 2024
Label: Self release
Formats: Digital
Born in Fort Hood, Texas and now resident in Nashville, Tennessee, singer-songwriter Mary McGuinness had her share of life’s ups and downs but, if her latest album, Shadowcatcher, is anything to go by, then she’s definitely enjoying a period of the ‘ups’ at the moment. It’s a pristine album, the perfect showcase for her clear-as-crystal, versatile-as-cinnamon voice, packed with songs that, intentionally or otherwise, channel the spirits of the seventies icons that have so clearly influenced her music.
The offspring of a Korean mother and an Irish father, Mary endured a troubled childhood, but life took a definite turn towards brightness when, following her high school graduation, she won a music scholarship to Tanglewood Institute’s summer programme for opera. That achievement was the spark that ignited her quest for personal development through music, a quest that has taken her to Spain, New York City, Los Angeles, and ultimately, to her current home in Nashville.
Along the way, she’s managed to reconnect with her mother’s Korean family, who turned out to be a lineage of musicians and poets, descendants of Hwang Jin-i, the renowned Korean poet, wit, beauty and free spirit. Now – that explains a lot…
In her time, Mary McGuinness has opened for the likes of Kenny Loggins, Counting Crows, Donovan, Todd Rundgren and many others, charming audiences with her potent blend of folk, country and sophisticated soft rock. Her formative influences include The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Willie Nelson and Linda Ronstadt and, having listened closely to Shadowcatcher, I think I can confidently add Elton John, Emmylou Harris and even The Carpenters to that list.
We kick off with Dreamy Feeling, a title that describes perfectly to dreamy mix of acoustic guitars, twangy electric guitar and piano that provides the backing to Mary’s intimate, clear, velvety vocal. It’s lazy, bluesy and luscious and it makes the listener hungry for more. Double Vision is a tasty slice of nice ‘n’ easy AOR with a banjo part that keeps the song secure on the right side of the fence that separates country rock from schmaltz.
Written in collaboration with veteran Nashville songwriter Jane Bach, Once in a Blue Moon, the album’s lead single, is a gentle country ballad with a full sound, topped by soaring pedal steel licks. Mary describes the song as: “…a melodic reflection of rare and destined love, a piece of my soul transformed into music. It’s a prelude to the varied and heartfelt stories I’ve embraced and created and I hope it resonates with listeners, creating a space where they can explore the essence of extraordinary love and the cosmic ties that bind us.” I may not have got as far as exploring cosmic ties, but the song certainly resonated with me, particularly in the places where Mary demonstrated her ease at tackling an impressively wide melodic range.
Maybe it’s the piano, maybe it’s the phrasing, maybe it’s the tune, or maybe it’s the subtle use of strings, but – whatever – Shadowcatcher, the album’s title track sounds, for all the world, like an undiscovered Elton John song, and there’s no doubt that it would have sat comfortably on Elton’s Tumbleweed Connection album. It’s a grand ballad, with a truly passionate vocal from Mary. And she delivers yet another stunning vocal on Keep Dreaming, a song with a nice guitar sound that merges seamlessly with the piano. I’m not always a great fan of string arrangements, but, here, they definitely add a very special something to the listening experience.
And then, things get REALLY interesting. The run of songs that takes Shadowcatcher from its mid-point to its conclusion is truly exceptional.
The rocky Spellbreaker recalls Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac, particularly during its “All I do – Spellbreaker” chorus, and I love the spacy acoustic guitar/ banjo/ pedal steel intro and outro. Bounded Beauty channels Linda Ronstadt on the album’s most unadulterated country rocker and the pedal steel embellishments add a special sheen to a wonderfully evocative song, whilst the influence of Emmylou Harris shines through on the galloping, gorgeously breathless, Springtime Thunder. Vibrant banjo, jangling guitars and an irresistible drumbeat provide the drive to another superb McGuinness vocal.
And, still, there’s no respite. Touchstone is a nice country ballad with lovely vocal harmonies and an accordion that comes in at the very moment that you’re likely to be thinking “An accordion would sound good with this…!”
And that brings us to Turn Down The Lights, Shadowcatcher’s dreamy, lazy closing track, a slow, evocative country ballad that just gets better and better the longer it goes on. Mary is accompanied by violin, acoustic guitar and a harmonica part that provides the ideal counterpoint to that glorious voice. Sometimes, you just don’t want an album to end; Shadowcatcher is a case in point.
Watch the official video to Once In A Blue Moon, the album’s lead single, here:
Mary McGuinness online: Official Website / Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / YouTube / Bandcamp
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