Jon McAuliffe’s latest CD Old School Moderne is certainly medicine for the soul and for the ears. McAuliffe is uncannily adept at translating emotions and humor in a variety of nifty Americana roots styles. He has come up with an album that delights in a full, three dimensional manner with high quality production values and a broad, painterly vision.
“Here, Rattler, Here” opens with snappy acoustic guitar, snake rattle, and McAuliffe’s raspy vocal. McAuliffe’s unleashes his firm vocal in quick, short bursts of energy, thickening the rhythm of this tune, making it something that tugs the ear while pushing the song forward. His hip delivery is adorned with a springy slide guitar that adds another layer of cool.
“Go ‘Head On” is a mid tempo joy ride lead by McAuliffe’s unique vocal rasp and a chugging groove. A tale of people who fight for what they believe in, this tune benefits greatly from McAuliffe’s steady, unique timbre and Seth Connelly’s lead guitar work.
Love song “If You Change Your Mind” is catchy in a subtle delivery, gently chorus manner. McAuliffe’s vocal in each verse asserts itself like a fine anthem of love as Jackie Damsky’s violin, Charlie DeVane’s fretless bass, and other musical treats pour forth like honey sweet offerings.
“Storm Of The Century” is McAuliffe’s feisty, pushy poke at weather forecasters who forewarn of tremendous doom whenever a winter storm approaches. This songwriter’s sarcastic wit is nicely developed in his lyrics and wryly expressed in his matter of fact vocal delivery. His tight, compressed lead guitar playing sounds totally cool and melodic. This tune could even become an Adult Contemporary radio hit, especially between December and March.
“Won’t You Stand” is a wide, expansive vibe song that calls people to action when they have something to fight for. This one sounds like it might have been written and recorded during the turbulent 1960s, having a weave of instrumentation that gives a tuft of musical charm that isn’t often found these days. McAuliffe sings this one with true heart and soul and one can feel that he means it as his voice comes wafting out of the stereo speakers.
A catchy, old time feeling blues number, “Michigan Man” combines barrelhouse piano style with McAuliffe’s considerate delivery of his witty lyrics. Crooning about a man who lives in the Wolverine State, McAuliffe has fun listing everything from ice fishing to the Detroit Tigers.
“Didn’t Have A Prayer” is a winsome, down tempo reflection on someone’s life in the city. McAuliffe’s heartfelt delivery, especially during his vocal sustains, make this one very engaging. It takes it time unfurling its message and its roots music appeal and that pace helps to envelop the listener in its world.
“Right Now” showcases more of McAuliffe’s rocking side. “Pedal to the metal and a tank fulla gas” is its lyric that best expresses the rebellious attitude of this piece. Perky electric guitar work from McAuliffe and Rob Carlson fill the soundscape and completes the picture with their aggressive notes and phrasing.
“Some You Win” takes things down tempo, with McAuliffe’s dry rasp oozing with cool. Phil Punch’s congas work wonders at conjuring a grooving hippie vibe, and an electric guitar keeps a fire lit with its perky interval of notes. This one conjures images of thinking people hanging out in a coffee shop discussing the meaning of life, which would include topics like this song’s philosophy of winning and losing.
“Geez, Louise” is all about McAuliffe’s old school interest in everything from vacuum tubes, Charlie Parker, and Universal horror monster movies. This one has an enticing groove over which Seth Connelly’s electric and slide guitars offer a weave of grinding cool six string work. Of course, McAuliffe has fun crooning with his gravelly voice over all of the oldies groove going on beneath him.
Speaking of monster movies; “You Are The Wolfman,” inspired by the 2010 Wolfman movie, 1935’s Werewolves Of London film, and Warren Zevon’s creature with the perfect hair, gets included as a musical comic relief number. This fun tune finds Jackie Damsky’s tense, moody violin capturing those old movie soundtracks perfectly as McAuliffe spanks the beast home with his hard slapping guitar chords. The listener keeps feeling the campy sense of dread, as especially when McAuliffe succumbs to the full moon and growls this to a close.
McAuliffe returns to his serious, sensitive side with “At The End Of The Day,” a call to his partner for companionship. Its involving rhythm and tenderly understated vocal delivery make it one of those songs you’ll return to over and over.
McAuliffe closes out his album with “Cross The River,” an easeful roots tune loaded with Patti McAuliffe’s thick harmonica line and George Pratt’s emotive violin line. This one takes the listener back to a purer time in American music, when feelings and true musicianship came together without a trace of artifice. McAuliffe’s rasp gets rangy and tender and he carries us through this tune with a considerate aplomb.
McAuliffe has outdone himself on this Old School Moderne album. He’s married his fine singer-songwriter sensibility to his more rocking, edgier side. He throws in some humor, some barrelhouse, some snake rattle, and plenty of electric guitar to come up with a three dimensional album that jumps out of the stereo speakers with crystal clarity from producer Jeff Root’s Root Cellar recording studio. Just about everybody who hears this recording will fall in love with at least parts of it.
