SoundTrack Web Extra: The Taking or the Leaving

For his sophomore effort, local punk-turned-country musician Brian McGee dropped the Hollow Speed, traded fiddles and banjos for organs and pedal steel and settled in at Echo Mountain Recording, emerging with 12 songs that exist — musically, lyrically and sonically — in a whole other realm than his self-titled debut. 

The Taking or the Leaving is still an alt-country record, but McGee’s inner punk no longer sounds conflicted alongside jangly country twang, and he instead walks the line with confidence and ease, having settled into a brand of Americana that resides somewhere between Lucero and Bruce Springsteen. Bouncy tracks like “Diving Horses,” “First Kiss” and the Buddy Holly-ish album opener “Hold Sway” are rockabilly for the heartland: anthemic, bluesy pop-rock with a gritty optimism and unflagging urgency. But that side of McGee is tempered with dark, twangy ballads like “Let’s Bleed,” “The Great Unknown” and “When My Time Comes,” which highlight his talent for writing bleak narratives that rest almost solely on vocals and raw emotion. 

This time around, McGee’s rough, howling voice is stronger than ever, especially alongside female guest vocalists like Ménage’s Mary Ellen Bush and The Honeycutters’ Amanda Platt, and the album’s production is warm and clean, accommodating a wide pallete of instrumentation that ranges from soaring pedal steel to accents of bright and delicate glockenspiel. It’s a cohesive, yet eclectic journey through homegrown American music of the last half-century, and the realization of where Brian McGee was headed all along. 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “SoundTrack Web Extra: The Taking or the Leaving

Leave a Reply to JHamm ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.