Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

There is a certain gentleness, a confident kind of whimsical appreciation to be found in watching Charlie McKeon as he settles into what could have been a solemn affair slot at Strings and Things’ August session. It is a gentleness though that carries great weight, a simmering tension that underlines the depth of feeling that can be witnessed between one person and their chosen musical instrument and the songs that somehow beat and throb with the heart filled with unusual courage. It is a sign of wonder and aural beauty that has to be heard to be understood and loved.

The sound at Mr. McKeon’s disposal is soothing; it is the call of a desert voice whispering in the dark and one that is at peace, not just with the natural world in which the desert song plays with like an owl hunting alone in the dark. It is also in harmony with its self, one that even copes with the self-confessed adrenaline surge during a sweet tempered set, which boiles undisturbed with many possibilities.

The August night sky might have been more in keeping with a dank October evening but the music that flowed out of one man’s fingers was more than enough to light the way and give a taste of what lays behind such serenity of spirit.

There are moments throughout the day when the observant will see a certain type of smile on a face and understand that the person delivering that smile has not done anything more with Time but treat it fairly and with conviction. The personal stamp of calm is nothing more than a true reflection of a soul that is untroubled by temptation and their only wish is to tell a story that might inspire others.

In Charlie McKeon that smile was more than evident, it was infectious and as he played songs such as My Love’s A Preacher, the quirky Cellotape, his latest composition Anyway I Like Too and Time/Love, that infectious feeling washed over those in attendance as if being bathed in sacred oils.

Musicians can inspire so many different emotion during any particular set, however it takes a kind breed, ones to whom the natural call of a guitar string is beyond the awe-inspiring scene of a sunrise being eaten away by the shadow of the moon, that really sets the heart on its way to feeling at one with life.

A great set of songs by a natural, tranquil and sincere, Charlie McKeon is a breath of fresh air let loose with ease.

Ian D. Hall