​JD McPherson (from the album Nite Owls

​JD McPherson (from the album Nite Owls

​JD McPherson (from the album Nite Owls on New West Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)

JD McPherson is one of those artists who simply cannot be confined to any particular genre. He owes his allegiance only to the basic tenets of an essential template — that of Rock’n’Roll, Rockabilly and Rhythm & Blues. That’s evident at the outset, with songs such as “Sunshine Getaway”, “I Can’t Go Anywhere with You”, and “Just Like Summer” offering astute examples of a decidedly scrappy style. He draws his influences from Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard, but at the same time, there’s nothing that could be considered archaic or outdated about his approach. He conveys an urgency and enthusiasm that finds an easy fit within contemporary confines. Take, for example, the unbridled urgency of the title track. It is a pulsating tempo adds a certain tension to the proceedings without distracting from any overall insistence. 

Yet despite his penchant for mostly keeping to the basics — the effortless tone and tempo cascading through “Shining Like Gold” sounds like something that could have found a fit on Classic Rock radio — McPherson’s melodies offer a hint of a somewhat peevish personality. As an example, his ode to “The Rock and Roll Girls” suggests a certain inherent insurgency:
 
‘I hear a rumble 
Like a thunder through the walls
It turns and tumbles as it
Dims the light handshakes the halls’
 
It’s not unlike something David Bowie, Ian Hunter, or Ramones might have tossed off during a fit of reckless, rebellious abandon “Baby Blues” maintains that drive and dynamic, while the surf guitar instrumental “The Phantom of New Rochelle” would likely have made Dick Dale particularly proud. 
 
That’s not to say McPherson lacks his own personality. The ominous and insistent “Don’t Travel Through the Night Alone” takes a particularly sinister stance, although it’s quickly countered by The Beach Boys-like shine and shimmer of “That’s What A Love Song Does To You”. Ultimately, there’s no way to pin JD McPherson down. In the end, Nite Owls soars on both its verve and vitality.  (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
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