Published on Aug 7, 2000
Chances are you’ve never heard of Christy McWilson. Even though
she’s established herself as a member of The Picketts, a roots rock
combo, over the last decade, it’s safe to say that she’s just not a
household name.
Chances are strong that with her first solo album,
The Lucky One, things won’t change overnight for her. And
this, kids, is what we call in the business a “God-Damn Shame”.
It’s unavoidable, of course. McWilson is too rock and roll for
the country world. She has too much twang for the rock circle. And
she’s too far rooted in both camps to neatly fit into the usually
all-encompassing blanket of folk music.
Truth be told, McWilson is a musical gypsy. And as the 12 songs
on
The Lucky One prove, she’s capable in every single one of
the fields she touches. A musical gypsy? Yes… thank God.
McWilson’s vocal prowess is astounding. One minute, she’s gently
chiding herself and the supposedly gifted life she lives on the
title track (most telling line: “Oh, happiness ain’t nothing but a
misery to me”), the next minute she’s belting out numbers like
“Cryin’ Out Loud” and “Little Red Hen” with incredible power and
finesse.
As talented a songwriter as she is a singer, McWilson dares to
bury several levels of meaning into such songs which can be simply
enjoyed right out of the package. Songs like “Weight Of The World,”
“Wishin'” and “Someday” all sound pleasant stright off the CD, but
if you sit down and listen to the lyrics (or, better yet, read the
liner notes, since it’s too easy to become captivated by the songs
themselves), you’ll discover a lot of hidden pain in those words,
allowing the songs to take on whole new meanings.
Of course, having such guest artists as Syd Straw, Dave Alvin
(who we’ll hear from real soon), Mike Mills and Peter Buck (both
from R.E.M.) doesn’t hurt things. But what may be the greatest
compliment to McWilson is that unless you’re paying attention to
the liner notes, their performances blend right in with the band.
This is the true sign of greatness: an artist superseding the guest
musicians.
The Lucky One is an album that should raise McWilson’s level
of popularity to dizzying heights, if there were any justice in
this world. Instead, though, of dealing with superstardom, McWilson
may have to rely on people’s experiences with this disc and
positive word-of-mouth to get her message out there. This is me
doing my part: go out, buy this CD, and tell your friends to go buy
their own copies. You won’t regret it.