Michael Meeking - Where To From Here (Album)
Michael Meeking seems somewhat of jack-of-all trades. Not content with just writing all of the songs on his latest album, Where To From Here, he has also donned the hats of producer, guitarist, bass guitarist, mandolin player, pianist and arranger – kind of like a country rock J. Mascis.
The result is a surprisingly eclectic album that almost dons as many hats as Meeking himself, yet still manages to retain its focus and continuity throughout.
The album comes out swinging with the opener, Tell Me I’m Wrong – a rollicking, foot stomping paean to betrayal that wouldn’t be too out of place in a Tragically Hip, Road Apples era set.
This mood continues on Fake It. With its skippy guitar lines and badass down home slide guitar, Meeking shows he definitely knows how to rock – albeit in a southern-fried country kind of way.
Taking a breath after all the foot stomping, the album takes a softer turn with tracks like All of My Love, Even Saints –sweet acoustic FM rock numbers in the vein of such troubadours as Newton Faulkner.
Rumours,another stomping ode to love lost,takes proceedings back up a notch, providing one of the most rock numbers in the set and a definite standout track
Another standout track on Where to From Here, and coming from the other end of the spectrum is Rebound Guy. A lazy banjo and harmonica tinged ‘ditty’ that recalls a Workingman’s Dead era, Grateful Dead and resonates with a simple sincerity.
This simple sincerity is something that is a constant throughout Where to from Here. There seems to be very little pretension to Meeking. A kind of ‘meat and potatoes’ songwriter, he is able to evoke the clearest of imagery (not least on the Tim Rogers-esque Sydney Bound Train) without resorting to lyrical gymnastics that so many other songwriters seem to drown in.
Overall, Where to From Here is a solid collection of earthy, honest country pop tinged numbers that is held together by some great production and by a guy who is obviously in love with the process of making music.
