Michael McDermott
Last Chance Lounge (Koch)
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Hot on the heels of the self-released “Bourbon Blue,” Chicago rock’s Irish bard returns to a national label with yet another solid effort, “Last Chance Lounge.” Perhaps because of his mainstream rock inclinations, the rock intelligentsia has never quite warmed up to McDermott. But if his music occasionally borrows a bit too much from early Springsteen, McDermott’s lyrical perspective is truly singular. His songs are redolent with Joyce-ian Irish Catholic imagery of saints, sinners and demon whiskey. In the anthemic opener “Getting Off the Dime,” McDermott sings about “Second handed souls and Salvation Army stores/The smell of many lovers and one too many tavern doors.” Another highlight, “Annie and the Aztec Cross,” is a tragic tale of a friend dying of AIDS, while the jaunty “Unemployed” lightens things up. Another highlight is the solo piano and vocal “Murder On Her Lips,” one of five songs that previously appeared on “Bourbon Blue.” “Last Chance Lounge” makes yet another strong case for McDermott as Chicago’s most talented lyricist, and there’s plenty of musical passion to go with his words.