Larry John McNally

Songs combining sophisticated rhythm and utterly endearing melodies soon brought acclaim to Maine-born Larry John McNally. On this debut, Jon Lind produced, with Buzzy Feiten's guitar and Bill Payne's keyboards forming the sound's backbone. The record is coloured chiefly by small, refined urban love songs, yet an underlying approach to soul and blues is heard everywhere: as a child, he had loved James Brown and Sam & Dave. His slightly throwaway, casually sung vocals are another major attraction.

There is a large virtue in his honesty, always making music true to himself without pretension. The next record would expand the scale and style, with a certain ruggedness moving to the fore. In that sense this is his most pop-oriented and polished album, full of what one might call the scent of AOR. Engineered by George Massenburg, it also shares much with Valerie Carter's separately discussed solo work; she sings backing vocals here.