Michael's most recent project is titled "In
The Rough", a collection of mostly guitar vocal takes
of his newer songs, meant for the fans who like to hear his
guitar work and lyrics in a stripped down atmosphere. "Early
Bird" recalls morning visits to a railroad family and
their horses. "Giant Lonesome" is about a James Dean
Fan Club, set in rural West Texas in the 1950's (and features
Dobro, Accordion, and Back Up Vocals). "Margaret 1956" also
leans back to that era - McNevin's mother as a naive teenager
cuts school in San Fransisco, goes to L.A., and stands all
day on a street corner waiting to "be discovered".
There are three co-writes on this one as well, which all cover
some miles in different parts of the country (though they don't
actually mention states or roads). "Silver Hair" (written
with Tom Prasada-Rao), is a journey via Kerouac and Don Quiote,
in search of a rocking chair and a loved one. "Nowhere
to Somewhere" (written with Buddy Mondlock) takes an El
Nino storm in the South West and follows a lover's journey
across a border, and "Hob Thrasher" (written with
Michael's Dad in the Phoenix Airport) is the endearing true
tale of McNevin and an old fiddler, Hob, jamming to The Wabash
Cannonball while they wait for a plane.
*note:
audio clips are MP3 format (64kb - FM quality)