An intimate portrait of a life lived fully; John McDonough goes for a vulnerable tact with “Nowhere Else To Run”. The sound gets stripped down to the essentials for at times it feels akin to being in a room with John. His singing has a compassion to it for there is a beauty to the tremendous delivery he lets unfold. With a small yet elegant amount of accompaniment he finds something that has a tenderness to it. Strings right in the background work as a neat counterpoint to the power of his words. Beyond the vocals though the other singer comes from his masterful guitar playing, which has a relativeness reminiscent of the Mountain Goats, though with better fidelity.
Right from the open he sets the tone for what follows. A perfect portrayal of life, the way he lets the narrative unfold feels masterful. This storyteller quality helps to lend the track a sense of authenticity and place. Such great detail enters into the equation for he makes sure that the multiple layers of sound retain a degree of lightness, one that becomes quite beguiling to observe. Nor do things ever get heavy sonically – that’s the job of the lyricism itself and he lets that happen in a naturalistic, almost pastoral way. Full of kindness his is a song of togetherness.
“Nowhere Else To Run” shows off the storytelling ability of John McDonough for he sings it straight from the very heart.
