Boogie of the Week - Edwin McCain

Boogie of the Week – Edwin McCain, Lost in America

So I like Edwin McCain. Not only was he funny as ever-loving hell on the couple of times I caught him in The Pam Stone Show on WBT radio, he’s a helluva songwriter,too. Now I’m not crazy about his overplayed radio pablum like I’ll Be, but there have always been some pretty strong lyrics in his stuff.

So I bought his new album on iTunes. Really, that’s about the only way I buy music nowadays. Aside from the convenience of buying boogie in my underwear, it’s also way cheaper, and I’m not lining some Best Buy or Wal-Mart (The Great Satan) exec’s pockets. Okay, I’ll admit to putting money in Steve Jobs’ pockets, but at least he’s a big geek instead of just a corporate schmuck.

Lost in America is his latest album, and I don’t care what number album it is or what label it’s on. If you want to know that crap, read Rolling Stone, not my cheap-ass blog. It’s more rock-centric than previous stuff I’ve heard from Edwin, and I dig it. The first number, Gramercy Park Hotel, is almost guaranteed a spot on my end-of-year mix CD. I think it’s strong lyrically and musically. I like songs that paint pictures and tell stories, and this one does both. And how can you go wrong with a song that says “Babe Ruth was a drunkard, just like me?” I probably misquoted that, but I can do that. See, I’m not a real journalist. (

The Kiss is the song that follows, and as much as I travel for work, I can see him sitting in the airplane, looking out the window for something to connect to. I loved the song, again with the strong visual imagery. Great stuff, beginning to end. A touch poppy, but not bad. Songs like Welcome to Struggleville and Bitter and Twisted are never gonna be arena-rock anthems, but they do a good job evoking a little bit of Steve Earle, a little bit of Robert Earl Keen, and a lot of Edwin’s softer Southern sensibilities.

For me, the real winner on the album, and one I hope gets a wide release, is the title track. A vicious shot against the stupid soulless consumerism that we’re all trapped in, its catchy hook and bouncy beat has you bobbing along while you think about what he’s saying. We are a little lost in America, and maybe with enough good music, we can be found. Buy the record. Either go to iTunes like I did, or go to Edwin’s website and order it.