Pat McGee Band
These Days (The Virginia Sessions)
Self-released
The tragic death of drummer Chris Williams cast a shadow over the release of Pat McGee Band’s 2006 concert DVD Vintage Stages Live, and his memory looms large over These Days (The Virginia Sessions) too.
Yet, McGee has clearly decided not to wallow in what must be interminable grief. Instead, with the assistance of Getaway Car frontman and producer Todd Wright, he delivers some real positivism for much of the album in the form of typically upbeat pop-rock tracks as brilliant opener “I Guess We Were,” the punchy “Hand That Holds You” and “You Want It All.”
The stirring melancholy of “Come Back Home” is a hint toward the darker moments McGee and his band mates must have gone through over the past twelve months and indeed, the poignant closing track “End of October” is a fitting tribute to Williams, as McGee details the raw emotion of the immediate aftermath of his friend’s untimely death.
The sheer quality of the material on These Days (The Virginia Sessions) confirms an old showbiz adage that the poignant picture of Williams behind his kit on the album’s insert confirms: the show must go on.
Pat McGee Band: http://www.patmcgeeband.com
