Mayor McCA
Welcome To McCALand
Crunchy Food/ Bobby J

My visit to McCALand was quite an interesting one. It was my first time there (I haven't heard their earlier release entitled Busboy) and things went pretty well. This time around the Mayor is not a one-man-band, he's acquired the help of a few friends. I recognize Dr. Pee from 'The Dinner Is Ruined Band but I'm a bit hazy as to who the others are. The music is primarily longing for love acoustic and such, which is really well done. Picture the product of Beck and Hayden copulating and you would get the Mayor's brand of sweet melodies mixed up with some watered down avant garde cocktails.

The part which I wasn't expecting was the Barfly - A Tragedy In 1/2 An Act mini off-Broadway show. It's a story about a 'barfly' who falls in love with a 'button fly' but she rejects him and he then goes though the process of becoming a gentlebug. The half an act comes complete with a narrator and 11 scenes(tracks) to tell the story. It's a real change of pace from the songs preceding it. Which isn't to say I didn't like the 'half an act'. I just don't think I could stand listening to it more than twice in a row.

The Mayor is a very hospitable gentleman or at least tries to be. I'm sure he'll make your stay in McCALand as pleasant as it was for me. I recommend this album for it's quality and originality.

Copyright © 1999 Gregory Douglas