Some music merely soundtracks, but Ryan MacGrath’s solo collection
creates atmosphere, mood and tone. Akin to the theatrical pop melodies
of Rufus Wainwright, Hawksley Workman and Beirut, MacGrath opens In
My Own Company with the whimsically romantic “Bell Boy.” With
flourishes of glockenspiel, percussion and accordion, it’s hard not to
be whisked away into this songwriter’s fanciful fiction.
Recorded with Don MacKay at Spaces Between Sound Studio, “Way West”
pays an orchestral homage to the traditional folk odes of Western
wealth. More pensive than poetic, “Cinderella” is a rewrite of the
happy-ending myth, accompanied by a striking violin and ethereal lap
steel. Departing from the fantastical, “Featherweight” crashes through
the dreamy record with handclaps, banjo, synth and plenty of vocals,
while the piano-driven ballad “Run” is riddled with existential
queries. MacGrath questions the meaning of home, loss and love. The
heavy-hearted stroll “No More Tears” wanders through a rainy day
(recorded raindrops and all), but builds spirit with the warming notes
of a trombone. It’s the final portion of the song that will raise
broken souls and make hearts believe in love again. MacGrath celebrates
the release of In My Own Company January 16 at the Seahorse.
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2009.
