Sundowner – Four One Five Two

To say I was excited for this would be an understatement. When I first heard that Chris McCaughan was doing some solo work, I was intrigued; and when I heard the four songs he released on MySpace I became obsessed. It makes sense really, because after all, McCaughan is one third of Chicago’s The Lawrence Arms and I love anything those guys touch. Four One Five Two by Sundowner (McCaughan’s alter-ego) is absolutely no different.

While quite different than what you would find on a Lawrence Arms release, Four One Five Two shows the listener how talented McCaughan is as a songwriter. The acoustically led songs are too melodic and sparse to be a part of the Lawrence Arms repertoire (although some songs could have fit in on The Greatest Story Ever Told) but that doesn’t take away from the intensity, emotional power or pure awesomeness of this CD in anyway.

If you ever took the time to listen to any of the songs on MySpace then you’ll have an idea of what to expect. Slow, emotional, introspective ballads with McCaughan’s smooth vocal delivery. However, the songs have developed quite a lot since those demo days – something which will take a while to grow accustomed to but do make the songs a touch better. Those developments come mostly in the way of Jenny Choi, someone you may know from Sanawon or have seen along side Mike Park in the recording studio, as she lends both her vocal talents and musicianship to certain tracks on the album. Her smooth voice counteracts McCaughan’s nicely as it flows in and out in the background while her subtle use of keyboard, cello and glockenspiel help add an extra layer to the already emotional songs.

Lyrically, McCaughan delivers once again too as he sings songs of introspection, reflection and self-doubt. They are depressing but always threaded with a sense of hopefulness for the future and helps cement an even stronger connection between the singer and the listener.

The album lived up to every single one of my expectations. Four One Five Two is an amazing, powerful and soulful album based on surprising subtlety and emotion that shows the reach that McCaughan has as a songwriter. Plus, the album also features new versions of The Arms‘ Boatless Booze Cruise and 100 Resolutions (which is one of my all time favorite Arms track, so to hear it down in a new way just kicks the album up another notch).