His peers have voted him 'Musician of the Year' for eight consecutive years at the CMA Awards - ten times in total. He's a member of the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame and he's worked with names such as Reba, George Strait and Dolly...it's easier to name who he hasn't worked with. Mac McAnally has achieved a lot in his career and he's showing no signs of stopping any time soon.AKA Nobody is McAnally's 13th studio album and, admittedly, the first that I have listened to...and it won't be the last.
What I gathered most from this release was that McAnally is musically very much in his own lane. There's fifteen tracks on this album and not one of them conforms to what is currently mainstream. Does this limit radio airplay? Absolutely but I think those CMA awards speak for themselves. This album provides a masterclass in storytelling.
There's a lot of variety on this offering. 'Mississippi on My Mind' and 'Zanzibar' are playful, bluegrassy tracks. 'Place Where You Belong' is piano heavy, a little reminiscent of Elton John, and 'Coast of Carolina' is a cute and charming track.
Yet, the stand-out track has to be 'With a Straight Face'. This ballad is an empathetic tale of two gay children whose parents just don't understand them. It's so incredibly refreshing to hear this sort of perspective in music and McAnally's presentation is as sensitive about an issue, as it is incredibly poignant. Truly powerful.
I could say more about this album but I'm going to leave it here. This is something you need to hear for yourself because this reviewer simply won't be able to do it justice.
AKA Nobody is out now and Mac plays The Borderline in London tomorrow (27th September). For more information, visit macmcanally.com.
