Michael Meldrum - Open Ended Question

Pros

• "Open Ended Question"
• "Bleecker Street"
• "The Great War"
• "Tavern Road Tune"
• "Falling Down"

Cons

• None.

Description

• Featuring Western New York's finest players, storytellers and songwriters
• An earnest, poignant collection of Meldrum's life's work
• Proceeds benefit the Homemade Baby Music Fund, in support of Michael's children

Guide Review - Michael Meldrum - Open Ended Question

His debut CD may be long overdue, but who ever said songs only matter when they've been recorded? The good news is that Meldrum has far more songs under his belt than this record could even begin to hint; but Open Ended Question is a perfect introduction to the breadth of his skill as a songwriter.

If anything is clear here, it is that Michael enforces no propriety over his work. He has no issue stepping aside and letting others sing his songs as he sits playing a haunting harmonica ("Rainstorm"), or handing the reigns over entirely ("Please Say Yes"), if that’s what the song calls for.

Meldrum's personal history stretches from Buffalo to Manhattan to Georgia, and his music is clearly influenced by these regions. This record encapsulates the traditional and contemporary folk aesthetic, as well as country, cajun, a tinge of latin, and of course the blues.

The guest musicians on this record read like a roster of Buffalo's finest players, including Jim Whitford, Alison Pipitone, and Ani Difranco (who also produced). In fact, it is as much a tribute to the community of music Meldrum has helped nurture as it is a testament to the important songs and stories he contributes.

The Buffalo scene may not be as flashy as Nashville or as painfully hip as Austin, but it’s nothing if not earnest, purposeful, and hauntingly sincere - all qualities Meldrum’s debut intuitively shares. Listen to Open Ended Question

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