The album opens with “Feather In A Hurricane,” a song originally included on Michelle Malone’s 2009 album Debris. At the beginning, she asks, “Ready?” And it is soon clear that they’re both ready, for this rendition moves and rocks and breathes fire. And that raw element to her vocals works perfectly in this acoustic setting. Of course, this isn’t the first time she’s chosen an acoustic setting for her songs. In 2014, she released an album titled Acoustic Winter, but more on that in a bit. This version features a seriously cool instrumental section in the middle, the two guitars rocking and flying. “All the politicians want to do is talk and talk and debate/And it doesn’t matter who wins the election/Because their hands are tied and bloodstained/Don’t you feel like a feather blowing in a hurricane?” Yes, maybe, but Michelle Malone is herself a force strong enough to combat a hurricane. And just listen to the way she delivers the word “bloodstained.” Wow. What a great opening.
“Dimming Soul” is a song originally on her 1997 album Beneath The Devil Moon, where it features some good work on keys. This new recording begins softly, pulling us in with her rather beautiful vocal work. “Well, I don’t want to talk/Talking walks the feelings home/Then you say that everything is going to be all right now/Then you say the words I long to hear.” The song slowly builds in power, and this acoustic rendition gives the song a sense of immediacy, makes it feel even truer. She delivers such an honest vocal performance. The emotion and power are striking, particularly as she sings these lines: “When I can’t find my way/To the end of the day/Wrap me up in your sky/I’m afraid that I, I could be fading away.” That’s followed by “Love Yourself,” a song from her 2018 album Slings & Arrows, where it began with a drum beat. Here the rhythm is delivered on guitar, including a couple of taps on the wood of the instrument. This song originally came out during the Trump administration, and provided a reminder to take the high road, a message we needed to hear daily. Well, it turns out, we still need that reminder. And there is some joy in her delivery. She even adds a “shooby dooby” at one point fairly early in the track. “And we learn to forgive all the people thinking about themselves/You can’t love nobody until you love yourself/Until you love yourself.” I love that guitar work in the middle of the track.
As I mentioned, in 2014, Michelle Malone released Acoustic Winter, which has an acoustic sound. My favorite song from that album is “Super Ball,” and she chooses to revisit that one here. Still, this new version is different from that earlier recording. It lacks the piano, for one thing. Anyway, it is an absolutely gorgeous song featuring an incredible, and incredibly moving, vocal performance. “And so, if you feel adrift, lost in the crowd/Simply remember just to be/Incredibly perfect/If you want to be/So don’t throw it away/Don’t throw it away.” I love this song. It is the only track from Acoustic Winter to be revisited on this album. That’s followed by another song that was originally on Debris, “Weed And Wine.” I love the attitude in her vocal delivery. And I think we can all relate to what she’s saying here: “You know, sometimes I feel like a prisoner/Because I feel like all I ever do is go to work and then go home and go to bed/I just want one more night so wild and free like we used to be.” And in this acoustic setting, it feels that a night like that is something right around the corner, like we could run out right now actually and reclaim whatever it was we once had. This song features some harmonica as well as guitar.
“Avalon” was the lead track on Home Grown, released in 1999, and its opening lines are more relevant today than they were then: “Been thinking about the world/And how it seems to have gone a bit crazy/Can’t open the paper or a magazine or turn on my TV/Without seeing something that I don’t want to see/The terror on the front page news/And tragedy on Channel 2.” Okay, maybe not the bit about the newspaper or magazine (though they do still exist, right?), but how the world has gone nuts and how the news is all bad. “I don’t understand how anyone of us could expect to feel grounded, grounded/I don’t need the madness/Makes me want to pack and head straight for the mountains.” Yes, there is something appealing in that. There is a tremendous amount of bright energy in Michelle Malone’s delivery. By the way, the art behind the CD tray is a variation on the artwork from the cover of Home Grown. That is followed by a second track from Beneath The Devil Moon, “Blue Suede.” The acoustic guitars give this one quite a different sound from the original, but the power is there in her vocals, and in the guitar too for that matter. And here she seems to have more room to take things down and then take them up. Both versions are good, but I prefer this new rendition.
Michelle Malone then gives us a new take on the title track from Debris (making that the most represented album on this release). These lines stand out to me: “If you’re tired, baby, we can just go to sleep/You don’t have to stand alone in your debris.” This one also includes harmonica, and there is some really nice work on guitar in that instrumental section toward the end. That’s followed by “Strength For Two,” a song from Home Grown, where it also features acoustic guitars. This new rendition is beautiful. “Is there anything that I can say to you/Is there anything that you need me to do/‘Cause I can see that your will is gone/You say you don’t have the strength to try/Well, I have got the strength for two tonight.” Those opening lines are so welcoming and warm, delivered in a gentle and loving way. Sometimes we need the freedom to be weak, particularly when we feel we can’t manage it any other way, and we need to know there is someone who can take care of us in those moments. This is another of my favorite tracks.
“Butter Biscuit” is a song that was included on the EP Lucky To Be Live. It’s a more playful number. Check out these lines: “I’ve got some jelly/It’s sweet and it’s thick/And oh you can’t go wrong.” And yes, she includes the whistling here, and gives that little laugh while doing it. She also adds a little “cha cha cha” at one point in the second half. Yeah, it’s fun from beginning to end. That’s followed by a cool rendition of “Tighten Up The Springs,” a song from Sugarfoot. There is a delicious, raw feel to this one, and I love the guitar part. The springs that are being tightened, by the way, are bed springs. The album concludes with “When I Grow Up,” a song from Stronger Than You Think. This is a song she wrote with Kristian Bush, one with a cheerful sound to leave us smiling. “When I grow up, I’m gonna be/Lovin’ my life and livin’ my dream/When I grow up, you’re gonna see/Everybody wanna be just like me.”
CD Track List
- Feather In A Hurricane
- Dimming Soul
- Love Yourself
- Super Ball
- Weed And Wine
- Avalon
- Blue Suede
- Debris
- Strength For Two
- Butter Biscuit
- Tighten Up The Springs
- When I Grow Up
Fan Favorites Unplugged Vol. 1 is scheduled to be released on May 12, 2023 on SBS Records.
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