ARTIST: Charlie Sexton & Shannon McNally
TITLE: Southside Sessions
LABEL: Back Porch Records
GENRE: Acoustic
BITRATE: 172kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 31min total
RELEASE DATE: 2006-08-01
RIP DATE: 2006-07-25
Track List
----------
01. Nothing Mysterious 4:42
02. Old Cypress Tree 3:41
03. When We Were Younger 4:47
04. No Place To Fall 2:43
05. Biloxi 4:56
06. Burn 5:22
07. I'd Do The Same For You 4:58
Release Notes:
This acoustic one-off from Back Porch labelmates Charlie Sexton and
Shannon McNally was conceived after a short joint tour where they
shared the stage for part of the set. Their label's name is an ideal
description of this casual meeting of the minds--it seems like
microphones were set up in a country yard on a gray Sunday morning
as the two musicians discarded their stage personas and modest star
trappings to revel in the love of making music. The songs are a mix
of originals from each artist, along with a few similarly themed
covers from others such as Townes Van Zandt ("No Place to Fall") and
Jesse Winchester ("Biloxi" works as a perfect post-Katrina lament
from ex-New Orleans resident McNally). Echoes of Gram Parsons's
classic work with Emmylou Harris abound, but the Southside Sessions
sound is more somber, sorrowful, and folksy, with touches of
gospel-styled passion. The peaceful yet emotionally charged vibe is
aided by solemn piano and barely-there percussion to help flesh out
these naked performances. Sexton's flinty voice meshes surprisingly
well with McNally's more classic husky country twang to produce a
short but bittersweet half-hour of songs that linger long after the
last note fades.