Gregg McKella is a musician who has spent a long time listening to the world around him. His latest album, Songs from the Underground, is the wonderful consequence of all that time. This solo endeavor offers us a more intimate aspect of his inventiveness, even if he is most known for performing in bands that play space rock and joyful music. He wrote these songs a long time ago while he was playing music on the streets. They have been kept safe for years, and now they have finally been recorded so everyone may hear them. This album is a blend of basic folk music and dreamy sounds from deep space, making it feel both old and modern.
The album seems to give us a deep insight into our hearts and the myriad sentiments we have inside. The name might make you think of dark areas, but the music is more like unearthing buried treasure. It combines the roughness of city life with the sky’s huge, boundless space. Gregg has been through some serious health problems lately, so he knows how vital it is to live completely and enjoy every moment. You can definitely sense the strength and truth in the song when you listen to it.
One of the best things about this record is that it doesn’t feel rushed. They put a lot of love and care into making it. The sounds of different guitars, organs, and even the warm woodwind of the clarinet all join together to make the room feel quite full. It reminds us that some of the best things in life take a long time to come to fruition. The album tells us that patience and hard effort lead to something incredibly valuable, just like these songs took decades to finish.
All Said and Done
The journey starts with a song called “All Said and Done,” which asks us to sit quietly and think. It is a very calm piece of music that looks at the choices we make and how we deal with things we might regret. It feels very honest, like someone talking to themselves in a quiet room. As the music grows, it feels like the person is moving away from their sadness and starting to accept their life as it is. It sets a mood that tells the listener it is okay to be still and just feel.
“Gone So Silent,” another song on the album, talks about what happens when individuals stop talking to each other. The song has a steady pulse that makes you feel like your heart is yearning for an answer that never comes. It gets that sad feeling when you have a lot to say but no one is listening. The electric guitar notes come and go like a remembrance of a friend who is no longer there. It is a strong reminder that sometimes the toughest thing for a person to hear is nothing.
There is a very long and important song in the middle of the album titled “New Horizons” that shows off Gregg’s unique style of mixing folk with space sounds. It has a steady rhythm that feels like walking through a busy city where everyone is moving and no one stops. Even though the city can feel lonely, the singing in this song feels like a warm hug. It encourages us to look past our current problems and find a new way of thinking. The main idea is that we should always follow what our heart tells us, even when the path ahead looks a bit dark.
New Horizons
In the song “Face in the Crowd,” Gregg writes about the feeling of being just one person in a huge group of strangers. With the help of beautiful violin music, he paints a picture of what it is like to see so many people but not really know any of them. It is a very kind song that looks at people with a lot of love and understanding. It makes the listener feel like the strangers they see every day are not so different from themselves. It turns a lonely feeling into a moment where we feel connected to everyone else.
In the song “Sacred Space,” the album stops using words for a while to make a quiet place. This part feels like a calm room where you can get away from the noise of the world. It uses soothing, electronic sounds to assist the person to relax and breathe. It indicates that we all need a quiet spot inside ourselves where we may go to find serenity, even when life is busy and loud. It is a part of the album that makes the mind feel like it is starting over.
“Motherless Children” is a song that talks about how awful it is to be lost or away from home. The music gets a little darker and more solemn. This segment of the record contains a strong, recurring beat that sounds like a dance from a long time ago. It feels a little dark and mysterious, which shows that Gregg isn’t scared to look at the sadder sides of life. It combines old-fashioned folk notions with odd, contemporary sounds to make something that feels incredibly profound and a little scary.
Motherless Children
The album ends on a very happy and bright note with “Woman Like You,” a track that celebrates the people who love and support us. After traveling through all the quiet thoughts and busy crowds of the “underground,” this final song feels like coming back out into the sunshine. It is a song about how much we need each other and how love can keep us steady. It is a beautiful way to finish the story, leaving the listener feeling hopeful and glad they took the time to listen to the whole journey.
In the end, Songs from the Underground is a terrific illustration of what happens when an artist stays loyal to themselves. Gregg McKella has put a lifetime of thoughts and feelings into these songs. This is an album for folks who prefer to listen intently and reflect on what life means. When the music stops, you realize that the “underground” isn’t a bad place to be. In fact, it’s where some of the greatest and most beautiful things are born.
For more, follow Gregg McKella on Spotify, Gregg McKella on Soundcloud, Gregg McKella on Bandcamp, Gregg McKella on Instagram, greggmckellamusic.com