If you’re a regular reader you know we cover more than just twangy music. Whether it’s rock or blues or folk, the thread that ties them to country or bluegrass is their rootsy foundation. So when I read that Philadelphian Don McCloskey took a lot of inspiration from 80’s musical icons Peter Gabriel and Paul Simon, I realized it was the world beat style that makes what is otherwise a pop record feel rootsy. It’s called The Chaos And the Beauty and it’s like a splash of cold water to the face if you’ve been mired in a twangy rut.
The tone gets set right out of the gate with I IV V, a Graceland-tinged number with stories of gunshots and protests in a nod to the chaos and beauty that shapes our lives. There’s also a good amount of world beat in First In Flight, albeit with bright pop of horns. It’s ostensibly about the Wright Brothers, but really it’s about finding the strength to overcome adversity. I Feel the Sunrise takes a little more style from reggae or ska and another kick from the horns. The tempo and volume build before slowing back at the finish, much like the wave McCloskey must have envisioned when he sings that , “she came on like the ocean.”
Another rootsy component of the album is the occasional injection of doo-wop, a product, I suppose, of McCloskey’s Philadelphia experience. Fall mixes that with some video game music and a little polyester lounge jazz to concoct a story about the seasons as a metaphor for a lover who just tells you what you want to hear. In a record full of surprises, the Christmas classic O Holy Night tops it by also getting the doo-wop treatment and is freakily hard to get out of your head even in late spring. The most simply produced song finishes the project, with Life After You wrapping up the sonic journey.
Don McCloskey has taken a surprisingly complex journey to build his musical resume. He’s written extensively for film and television, had a song for his beloved Phillies become a temporary World Series anthem, and starred in a theatrical presentation based on an episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Throw in all his musical influences and I suppose The Chaos And the Beauty was predictable. But it was a surprise to me and its appeal has stuck with me for a lot longer than I would have ever imagined.
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.