|
January 22, 2009 @ The Basement — Megan McCormick Megan McCormick Delivers Impressive Guitar-Work, Less Impressive Vocals Megan McCormick has been performing on the Nashville club circuit for well over a year. From the start, she's been an exciting guitarist with solid blues and jazz chops. With the release of her debut record just around the corner, it's time to review this talented artist. Here's the good news. McCormick's gift is her guitar playing. She creates ambient rhythms not unlike Bill Frisell, then launches into stellar leads reminiscent of Larry Carlton. Her style is both bluesy and jazzy. She writes great songs, and at the very least she has a bright future as a songwriter. Here's the not so good news. Less impressive are Megan McCormick's vocals. Her voice is reminiscent of Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls--raspy; but unlike Ray, she has little range. Unfortunately, McCormick continues to write songs that push her vocal abilities. It's courageous to see an artist take risks on stage. But in the past year, McCormick's vocals have not improved. Her backup singer, however, has certainly improved over the past year. This woman used to get onstage with Megan and act like it was her first time ever onstage (probably was), but she's calmed down a bit, to everyone's benefit. Something tells me that Megan McCormick's forthcoming debut CD is going to be a very solid record. I'm looking forward to reviewing it. The studio will no doubt put some shine on her vocals. But after seeing her perform live countless times over the past year, I'd recommend McCormick start looking for a singer to front what could be a kick-ass band. —Vincent Wynne |
