Paul McMahon - Hymn to Her

  by Maarten Schiethart

published: 2 / 5 / 2015

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Review

With a thoroughly intriguing eponymous album on the Neutral label from NYC when Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth were just about to attract a bit of attention, Paul McMahon's debut dates back to 1986. His phlegmatic wit failed to hit the right chord with the minutely shrunken masses in the aftermath of the No New York noise mayhem. "Turtles travel slowly/It's not their fault/ It's asphalt," he sang on 'Turtles Travel Slowly on Asphalt' on that album. McMahon's ironic vaudeville twang though lasts until this very day. His highly volatile political comment and romanticism may be typical of liberal New England, yet his sense of humour and melody still sounds refreshingly juvenile. Paul's howling vocals at times sounds like burly burping. McMahon's zany blues vocals range from soulful crooning to sarcastic existentialism, just as he prefers to make a small mockery of the brawling Americana which he is, however, evidently very fond of. His vocal extravagance occasionally leads the listener into believing he'll start yodelling next. Very wise and ironic comments set aside, Paul McMahon pulls off an excellent tongue twister as if for a small moment he were Chubby Checker. In mentioning next Dolly Parton, he gives away the affection he feels for country music. 'Hymn to Her' sums up small town Americana of the kind extremely unpopular with big time companies today. And as per usual, big time companies have got it ever so wrong.

Track Listing:-

1 Only Love (Is)
2 Beat the Bushes
3 Hanuman and Anjani
4 Birdcage for My Heart
5 When You Know You Know
6 Liza Jane
7 Milk Me Mama
8 Big Black Plume of Oil
9 We're All Angels
10 You're My Guts
11 Gan Ganapataye Namo Namah

Band Links:-

http://paulmcmahon.tv/music/