You’ll feel misled, trust me. I understand that, lyrically
speaking,
Roots is a reference to the
spiritual theme dominant on Shawn McDonald’s latest—an exploration of the
soul’s grounding in God. Still, you purchase a CD for the music, and
Roots is hardly an apt description.
Instead,
McDonald branches out with an expansive musical vision and brilliance unlike
anything he’s previously released. “Clarity” bursts forth with a Jason
Mraz-like enthusiasm, albeit slightly overproduced. Still, the track expands
McDonald’s repertoire slightly into electric territory. “Captivated” follows
with an orchestral opening as McDonald waxes on the surrounding world that
inspires and moves him before settling into familiar acoustic ground.
Advertisement
“You are what I long to find to melt this
cold heart of mine/ ‘Cause when you are around, I’m found,” McDonald admits
on the seasonally sparse “Winter.” It’s a poetic musical turn that McDonald has
proven himself so good at, time and again. “Waltz in 3” moves in a whimsical,
fairy-tale sort of musical motion and showcases McDonald at the height of his
sonic stretches.
Of course,
such exploration leads to mistakes as well. The largely forgettable “Slow Down”
makes one wonder what exactly McDonald is going for. However,
Roots reaches new heights for an already
impressive singer/songwriter.
- Matt Conner