James McMurtry
Childish Things
(Compadre)
First Appeared in The Music Box, October 2005, Volume 12, #10
Written by John Metzger
Although James McMutry opted to decorate with bluegrass accoutrements several
of the tracks on his latest effort Childish Things, his material remains
as hard-hitting and edgy as ever. Indeed, the fiddle accompaniment that adorns
See the Elephant and Memorial Day packs as much bite as the
stinging guitars and the thunderous roar of his rhythm section, which is, of
course, precisely the point. Full of pent-up frustration and anger, the music
matches the intensity of his lyrics as he turns everything from dysfunctional
relationships to life in middle America into fodder for his poetic musings.
Thematically, the album is hinged to a loss of both innocence and faith — so
much so that one has to wonder if, perhaps, the circus animal to which McMurtry
refers on the opening tune See the Elephant isn’t really a literal
representation but rather a figurative depiction of what he views as the
obstacle that has prevented the resolution of the problems plaguing his
homeland: organized religion, specifically the "Christian right." After all,
it’s certainly no accident that what follows is the title track, which utilizes
a passage from the Bible as a means of conveying the concept that one sets aside
his immature beliefs as he gains experience from living in the world. Elsewhere,
he offers the overtly political diatribe We Can’t Make It Here — which
essentially calls compassionate conservatism a smokescreen for adding to the
coffers of the rich despite the detrimental impact that it has upon those who
are less fortunate — and on Six Year Drought, he draws a vivid portrait
of a run-down town from the perspective of a drifter. Sung with a deadpan
delivery, McMurtry laces the tunes on Childish Things with an air of
weary resignation, which only serves to enhance the penetrating potency of his
words, and when separated from the characters that reside within its borders,
the outing expresses the disappointment that resonates within a man who has come
face-to-face with the reality of life in these United States. 
½
Of Further Interest...
Drive-By Truckers - A Blessing and A Curse
Reckless Kelly - Under the Table and Above the Sun
Childish Things is available from
Barnes & Noble. To order, Click Here!
Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2005 The Music Box