When the discussion turns to escaping your father’s long shadow, James McCartney beats anyone’s sad tale of overcoming daddy issues. He clearly knows he’ll never come close to the success and influence generated by his knighted old man, and that shows in the unforced way he approaches his own material, particularly on The Blackberry Train.
There are hints of Sir Paul’s melodic gifts in McCartney’s presentation, most pointedly on “Ring A Ring O’ Roses,” but his indie-rock energy has a darker, tougher edge (the bouncy “Too Hard,” the propulsive “Unicorn,” the GBV-laced “Paralysis”), and his quiet balladeering eschews saccharine melancholy—perhaps his father’s only true fl aw—for a genuine and relatable sweetness and sadness (the glistening “Waterfall,” the aching contentment of “Peace And Stillness”). Fans of a certain bent will appreciate The Blackberry Train for the obvious connection, but those who listen beyond the simple DNA linkage might hear a Westerbergian Paul, with shades of Ryan Adams and Patterson Hood, in McCartney’s plaintive musical howl.
—Brian Baker
