First thing on the agenda is to give Tony McLoughlin credit for having an impressive moustache. It’s the kind of moustache that has lived a life (and probably strained a good few plates of lentil soup as well). Tony McLoughlin writes songs that sound like they have lived a life too on this his fourth album.
Having said that, this isn’t a mid-life crisis album. It is more of an example of the commercial Nashville songwriter’s art even though he hails from Ireland. You can imagine him sitting there next to the likes of Bob Cheevers working out songs for other people to sing and listening to the likes of “You Look For It All” and “Mother’s Son” reinforces that feeling of the near anonymity of entertainment for the middle aged long distance truck driver. Fortunately, he puts on a performer’s hat and stamps a bit of himself on “Not Too Far From Memphis” and “I Like The Way” thus bringing things back into a better balance.
In some ways, and despite the Nashville comments above, Mr McLoughlin reminds me of Mark Knopfler. Not for the instrumental virtuosity, by the way, but for his ability to render everything he performs at one, nicely polished level. “Ride the Wind” is an easy album to listen too but, to tell the truth, it is less impressive than his moustache.