McAnally's 11th album, Down by the River, continues in the pattern of his previous solo albums: a tight collection of songs, mostly written by Mac himself and produced by him. He also plays guitar, piano, keyboards, harmonica, ukulele and percussion, and sings most of the backing vocals. The mostly one-man approach to almost everything is a refreshing change in an industry where so many hits are written by committee. Even following his own road, Mac continues to expand his scope on the album, bringing in his multiple influences to make something completely unlike mainstream country music — something that is very hard to categorize, even as it draws from older-school country, folk, and even blues and rock, but is still an amazing listen.
The collection starts off with the gently swinging "Blame It on New Orleans," a very authentic Dixieland jazz number which cleverly recalls all of the New Orleans traditions. It's followed by "Down by the River," co-written with former NRBQ member Al Anderson. This song brings McAnally's Muscle Shoals influence to the forefront, with a dash of Southern gospel. "If You Hang Around Long Enough" sounds like something that Merle Haggard would have recorded in the 1970s, and even name-drops him without feeling forced.
Every song is written to its fullest, relying on sharp, writerly details, combined with a wry sense of humor and simple yet effective life philosophy. When he sings "The glass half empty more than fills the cup" on the appropriately upbeat, ukulele-driven "(Nothing Like a) Sunny Day," it means more than all of the preachy "Live Like You Were Dying"-type songs. "Over and Out" uses police terms humorously to describe its female protagonist (she likes to watch COPS, "sounds like Dragnet," etc.). "You First" is a very moving tale of two brothers in war, one of whom sacrifices his life for the other's sake. Following it is the equally emotional "Unresolved," where a boy wishes for the complete family that he never gets after his dad leaves. These two songs are just brimming with an authentic sense of emotion that so many other similarly-themed songs lack, and that authenticity makes them truly moving. "Big Disappointment" turns the "dreams come true" theme on its head with the tongue-in-cheek line "If I'd known that all these dreams were coming true / I might have dreamed a better dream or two." Not one line on the whole album feels forced, cliché or redundant.
The melodies are simple and catchy, feeling like actual songs rather than the same cookie-cutter riffs; even better, the production is clean and uncluttered, free from the compressed layers of strings and roaring guitar solos that dominate mainstream country music these days. When he does use a guitar solo, it's tastefully simple, not flashy; when he uses strings, they're soft and mellow, not swelling.
Mac's voice sounds deeper, richer and fuller than ever, recalling the resonance of Gene Watson or Doug Stone, with Merle Haggard and Randy Owen serving as points of reference at times. He drops to a bluesy growl on the earthy blues-rock "Bound to Get Down," which adds a stinging slide guitar solo and shouted gang vocals, sounding like a blend of The Kentucky Headhunters and Tom Petty. On other tracks, such as the closer "Until Then," he goes for a softer, lighter vocal, which is just as effective.
Down by the River is a wonderful album from start to finish. All of the tracks are nearly flawless in their execution, each one being a highly substantial song that stands on its own — but combined, they form what may be one of the best country albums of 2009. At the very least, it is by far the best work that Mac has ever put down. Country radio may not touch it with a ten-foot pole, but if enough people recognize his name from "Down the Road," he should be able to get at least a few more people to listen to his unique brand of music.
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