Michael McDermott
Michael McDermott (EMI) (star) (star)
More Top Picks Best Chelsea Boots For Runners
On his third album, McDermott delivers an introspective effort, but in confessing his sins, he commits a few himself. His straightforward rock tunes beg for the tension of a good band, but he plays all the instruments himself. When McDermott delivers a joyous guitar hook on “Suzie’s Got a Brand New Hat,” he blows it with a painfully square chorus. Then, there’s the ballad “Forever,” which sounds as cliched as its title. But even if McDermott’s voice too often resembles Don Henley-meets-Bruce Springsteen, his lyrics often rise above both for sheer poetic value. “My Own Little World” is a concise evocation of a daydreamer’s landscape, and the broken romance of “Summer Days” would do The Boss proud. Sadly, it’s an unnamed, buried bonus track that delivers the freshest punch–well after the rest of the album falls flat.