Rich McMahon
Album: Songs Of Exile, Love & Dissent
Label: Knotted Oak
Tracks: 12
Website: http://www.richmcmahon.com

By modern terms, Rich McMahon was a late comer to a full time music career. That's not to say he hadn't experienced performing in front of an audience having been a regular at open mic nights and the like for some years, developing a number of musical styles, loosely based on the styles of artists that impressed him at the time.

After a life threatening illness and a series of dead end jobs, it was quite an easy decision to throw the dice and go with the thing that he really loved music. With the focus on a more positive future, the monkey upped and ran from his back and Rich McMahon, discovered that he had a real ability not only as a performer, but also as a songwriter.

It's difficult to deny that Rich McMahon, is a songwriter in the vein of Christy Moore, in both the way he phrases his songs and the way that he turns careful observation into carefully crafted three and four minute vignettes on life. In this he has one advantage over the fantastic crop of younger singer songwriters currently working the circuit, he's been there.

When McMahon sings a song like "The Barman's Tale" you can feel that the pained observation as to the futility of the role and yet understand why the barman sticks at it, because there is an experience there, a knowing realisation, the gift is turning that into a song that people want to hear and it would appear that he's got that part nailed.

Though blessed with a rich Irish brogue, McMahon started life in the urban sprawl that is Coventry, before decamping to a rural Ireland with both aspects of his life influencing the way he writes. You also get the impression that many of the songs on the album have been honed on the live circuit and that what you get on "Songs Of Exile, Love & Dissent" is a slice of how they sounded on the day that whilst undoubtedly finished as songs, they are still evolving.

This is a well written and performed album and whilst not live it has that sense of a stage in a badly lit cellar bar, with the difference that most, if not all of the clientele are actually paying attention to the performer. If you like you music with a slice of life, then cut yourself a big chunk and indulge in Rich MaHon's "Songs Of Exile, Love & Dissent".

Neil King