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Shannon McNally turns her easygoing alternative country sound
on its ear for her latest collection of songs. Western Ballad
was mostly co-written with producer extraordinaire Mark Bingham
in his New Orleans studio while Shannon was hanging out, woodshedding
and pulling ideas with the revered statesman of rock. McNally was
in a fairly prolific time in her career and wasn't necessarily looking
to collaborate or make an album, but in sitting around throwing ideas
back and forth the pair conjured a nice working relationship. Bingham
had long been looking for someone to put his old pal Allen Ginsberg's
poem "Western Ballad" to song, and he found his match in
McNally. The partnership blossomed perfectly and the result is the
beautiful Western Ballad album.
"Memory Of A Ghost" starts the record off with a very Southwestern
feel… the song is mostly acoustic guitars backed up by deeply
tremoloed guitars and softly rolling drums that perfectly frame McNally's
gritty, soft vocals. McNally's vocals have a lilting charm that subtly
enriches her wonderful lyricism, and when Bingham chimes in, his voice
is rich and thick with familiar memories. "High" boldly
sticks its neck out, incorporating heavily-processed light drums and
jangling guitars to great effect as McNally continues to impress with
her vocal skills. "When I Am Called" is steeped in a high
gospel tradition, not only in its lyrical content, but in the sound,
cadence, and harmony of its beauty. I would reckon that this is one
of the finest modern gospel songs that you've never heard and would
love to hear someone like Alison Kraus work it into their repertoire.
There is a particular bliss that reaches out when McNally lightly
sings, "I will see the leaves change, I will learn to take the
fall, I will go where I am called."
By the time "Western Ballad" shows itself, the album has
set a nice, relaxed mood steeped in Americana and tradition which
continues, adding slide guitar and heavily reverbed drums to build
a beautiful soundscape. Ginsberg's lyrics are clear and telling, obviously
serving as inspiration for much of the subject matter on the record,
bringing together the gospel and rebellion, the rock and roll aspects
of his writings. "True Possession" steps up the tempo and
features some fine chicken pickin' style guitar, creating a country
gospel tone that would fit right in on the Grand Ole Opry. McNally
steps out and tries her hand at singing in French on "Tristesse
Oubliee" and slows things down and makes things sound much larger
than life on "Rock And Roll Angels". Bingham arranged a
great version of the old-timey "Little Stream Of Whiskey"
that has McNally sounding much like Bobbie Gentry as her clear
falsetto jumps along on top of the marching snare and weirdly carnivalesque
guitars that once more make the song sound like a brilliant and friendly
classic country tune.
This collaboration would sit wonderfully in a musical library right
next to the recordings that Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan
have made together, although the songs here tend to be a bit lighter
and less tortured than those records have turned out to be. Moving
from her erstwhile musical position somewhere between Lucinda Williams
and Bonnie Raitt, McNally makes great strides with her sound
on Western Ballad. Taking a few risks is easy when one is working
with someone as fabled and bold as Mark Bingham, and it surely paid
off for her on this latest release. The songs are filled with depth
and beauty, McNally cementing her place in the modern lexicon of alternative
country music.
-Embo Blake
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