American Folk: Antsy McClain's Time-Sweetened Lies

Antsy McClain’s Time-Sweetened Lies starts with “Captain Midnight,” a very David Wilcox sounding tune and voice, a song that could be dedicated for my old radio collection and a little wish for the days before deregulation. This is McClain’s solo voice after having supplied much for the Trailer Park Troubadours. What you find are tender songs but each having a twinkle in their eye, sharing life’s important lessons through the small things that we have in common, just as the songwriting of Wilcox, Peter Mayer, John Gorka, Greg Brown, and Peter Mulvey can often do.

“Field Trip” is instantly classic for reaching back into the mind of an elementary student in the way that Kevin Kling’s stories do, plus what’s not to like about a song that talks about a Johnny Quest lunchbox in a voice like James Taylor with a tune similar to Hayes Carll’s “Take Me Away.”

On “Della Rae Don’t Much Care,” there’s a bluesy hint at doo wop Country. “Ella May” is a country swing blues and a clever lyric about a love interest who may or may not (or is it about trying to parent a young child?). Clever continues in the Peter Mayer tradition on “Sparky’s Lament,” letting the words of dog coax a woman back to the relationship.

Thank you to the Antsy McClain for the review copy.