Cameron McGill
Stories of The Knife and The Back
© 2003 Cameron McGill (783707774121)
CD permanently out of stock. Sorry!
Aching chamber-pop chock-full of keys, strings, and ancient melodies. File under: indie-pop-alt-country-rock-etc.
tracks
- 1 Long Way Back To California
- 2 What The Hell (I love this girl Danielle)
- 3 Make-out Face
- 4 Oklahoma (give me company)
- 5 The Ballad of George Dobbins
- 6 The Summer Dress Step
- 7 No Sometimes
- 8 Tell Me On The Way Back Home
- 9 Coal Miner's Son
- 10 Stitches
- 11 Up in Arms
- 12 Overboard
- 13 Pave It With Gold
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notes
On the highly anticipated "Stories of The Knife and The Back", Chicago singer-songwriter Cameron McGill is what one might call a rocking paradox. The kind of person, someone less lonely would call insane. Having fronted Chicago's power pop trio Morris Minors for 3 years, McGill calmed down in favor of an aching chamber pop record. Once described as "the loudest and softest act you will ever see" McGill can scream like a whisper in his songs - literate and elegant tales about the jigsaw puzzles of ordinary life and everyday heartbreak.
Recorded at Raxtrax studios in Chicago in the later part of 2002 and early 2003, many of the albums themes come alive with the emotion in McGill's vocals. Namedly desperate attempts at confronting mortality, which is a common thread for this group of songs. As "Make-out Face" determines, "now you are in your own LA, you've taken your last red-eye medication, and you don't think I can hear what it is you say, but heaven has its own PA and I can still hear your voice..." The devastatingly honest lyrics travel with the instrumentation; where every word plays a role, where every instrument seems in its right place.
The beauty of "Stories..." lies in the fact that it juxtaposes the dark romance of string sections with melodies from a different era that gain such velocity they nearly run away. This is McGill's rewarding attempt at experimentation, making "Stories of The Knife and The Back," a road trip, mix-tape, bruised arms out the window on a summer day kind of album, even if in a depressed sort of way.
Starting out in the coffeehouse circuit and ending up on larger stages as of late, Cameron McGill has opened for renowned artists Damien Rice, Ian McCulloch, John Stirratt, and Ours, and played at both the SXSW and CMJ festivals this past year. Selling out many of his local shows, McGill and his (sometimes) live band have earned a fiercely loyal following. Live, McGill's shows either take on a lone gunman approach or employee the kitchen sink.
Focusing on strong lyrics like, "I quit losing years years ago, now I just run the ones that I have into the ground, hoping the one heartache I've found is my lost pleasure, buried like a treasure unfound till now," "Stories of the Knife and the Back" is an honest album laced together with exquisite storytelling. McGill plays the songs on "Stories..." as if he's worn them and lived in them forever. Cameron can be seen singin' for his supper somewhere in Chicago.
File under: indie-pop-alt-country-rock-etc.
-erin smolinski
reviews
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- author: All Music Guide
Singer/songwriter Cameron McGill is all heart on his debut album, Stories of the Knife and the Back. While the title might suggest otherwise, McGill learns from those moments of betrayal and dirty tricks for an endearing set of songs. What makes McGill a star among stars is his one-of-a-kind honesty. He's not overly ambitious on Stories of the Knife and the Back; he's not out to prove himself to be more than just a regular guy with his heart on his sleeve. He succeeds in blending threads of roots rock, country-rock and indie rock, and unlike Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn, and whoever else is being touted as the next country boy superstah, McGill's focus on allowing the songs to mesh with simple production speaks for itself. McGill's a poet, one obsessed with the glamour of old Hollywood while living his life according to Literary classics and standard punk rock anthems. Songs like "The Ballad of George Dobbins" and "The Summer Dress Step" showcase McGill's vocal passion á la Adam Duritz while embracing classic country and folk stylings for his own rock & roll signature. Violins and pianos waltz throughout the more sublime reflection of "Coal Miner's Son" for one of McGill's hidden treasures, and if he plays his cards just right, it could become one of those underrated classics in years to come. McGill's earnest attempt in making a solid rock album might make Stories of the Knife and the Back come off a touch manicured, but who cares? It's free of the slickness of a major label release. If anything, McGill will kill you with kindness.
- author: Jill
Cameron McGill's Stories of the Knife and The Back is an exceptional album. His songwriting talents are evident in every track. This album takes the listener through emotional twists and turns, ups and lows, and is genuinely honest.
He Has a Uniquic voice and Captivating lyrics
author: Jesy JonesI love to find new artist and running into a IWR sampler I was introduced to Cameron. The first song I heard was Long Way and it was smooth and entrazing. His voice is soothing and lyrics fresh. A wonderful and unusal combination. The rest of the cd follows equally as smooth but a bit more of a rollercoarst story both up and down beat. This Cd is something everyone should hear.