Pauper Sky Records

****1/2

Michael McDermott has been an interesting character for as long as he has been involved in music, which started in earnest when he signed a major label deal with Giant Records in 1991, having cut his teeth on the Chicago coffeehouse circuit.

With a dozen or so records under his belt, he remains a cult-like figure, effortlessly blending roots rock and a singer-songwriter vibe with a subversive, insightful grin.

Healer, entertainer, political commentator, and prophet, he is a demon-chasing, streetwise performer who understands the octane of rock music and its finesse and delivers it with a big dose of social consciousness. This is authentic Americana music rooted in the vapors of rock’n’roll. These songs evoke a time in music history when rock was getting really loud. At the molten core of each is a chorus or riff that just won’t let go. Heartfelt rock music for the denim-clad delinquent in us all. Tracks that twang and scorch in equal measure, with lyrics critiquing our modern excesses and charting a communal path forward delivered in Michael’s immaculate vocal tones. There isn’t a wasted word or note among these essential songs. A singer-songwriter with a philosophical bent who spreads his art and ideas with impressive prolificacy, giving this set that certain something extra that keeps calling you back.

Things kick off with the hard stomping groove of The Best We Get as he takes the energy even higher with stinging guitar and pulsating drumming. But it’s also this taut, simmering rock song, blessed with a singalong hook and a slight punk edge to it. An immediate standout follows. Always A Ways Away is an overloaded boil of catchy thoughts that will have you nodding and singing along with approval and understanding. This is perfect for driving fast on long, lonely stretches of highway with the windows down and the wide-open night for company. It’s a journey down roads you recognise, but still manages to reach for the universe beyond. This is a classic that should last much longer than a lifetime. The nods to the 1990s are evocative without feeling derivative on The Struggle Makes You Stronger, and for all its blunt honesty and self-deprecating worry, it rocks hard enough to bring a genuine sense of catharsis. His balance between hopefulness and heaviness is overflowing with that weird mix of positivity and despair that comes with just being alive these days. 

Michael’s music has always had an excellent Americana sensibility. This comes through on a pair of softer songs. The sad tale of Johnny Sparrow And The Sunset Girl and the contemplative But For The Little Moments. The latter, inspired by a scene from Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories, is unflinchingly honest as he sets aside his lofty aspirations for a quiet, more simplified and uncluttered life. The tangled romance of Johnny Sparrow And The Sunset Girl unfolds over a delicate acoustic arrangement. The rhythm is rambling, and his vocal cuts through the mix with just the right balance of earnest believability and downtrodden weariness. In contrast, he gets his most abrasive and political with his anthemic portrait of The Future. Marching forward on a typical blend of melodic and classic rock guitar, he creates striding, bruising music with lyrics that cut through with a powerful message.

One of the most powerful records of 2026 to cross my desk, Michael McDermott offers up 11 tracks of raw, unfiltered talent. This is a portrait of an immensely skilled songwriter and musician, who is at the height of his powers. I don’t know where he’ll go from here, but to my ears, FLOWERS FROM THE GRAVEYARD sounds like a stone-cold classic. 

https://www.michael-mcdermott.com

August 2026