Wild Eye (label)
21 October 2013 (released)
19 October 2013
Tony McLoughlin has been around for a while but this is by far the most satisfying album I’ve heard from him.
He is an Irish songwriter and very much in that John Hiatt/John Cougar camp of strong and evocative Americana and one look at his career history sees him playing with the likes of Steve Earle, Janis Ian, Kinky Friedman and Arlo Guthrie – none of these names that mess around with untalented players.
The producer for this album is Ben Reel and he has given the album something of a wistful and heartfelt tone that fits rather well with McLoughlin’s warm vocals and strident guitar playing – Thomm Jutz and Timo Gross both add their guitar to the mix and he is also supported by John McCullogh on keys.
The album hits a lot of the classic Americana traits with chugging rhythms and soaring harmonies but the songs are the key here and he is singing about real people and putting over the emotions and the hardships inherent in the life of an itinerant musician – you really feel for his songs and his music.
A strong album, not one to play as background music and in ‘Harlan Road’ he has written one of my favourite songs of the year.
