Cass McCombs’ “Interior Live Oak”: Dive Into a Soul-Stirring Musical Journey!

The latest collection of original songs by Cass McCombs dates back to 2022 with the stunning journey offered by Heartmind, a concise, diverse, and precise album. Following two compilations of rarities (and one children’s music album), McCombs returns to the scale of his expansive work, Big Wheel and Others (2013). His newest album, Interior Live Oak, may only feature sixteen tracks, but it delivers seventy-five minutes of music. Unlike Big Wheel and Others, which soared like a mountain range, Interior Live Oak flows smoothly like a mighty river.

The album unfolds gently, yet with a quietly changing landscape – it journeys through vast swathes of America, from country to soul, through folk and pop, taking its time. The voyage kicks off on a high note with the distinctly seventies vibe of Priestess, driven by a rhythm that masterfully blends stiffness and fluidity, velvety vocals, and a promise of crystal-clear, cozy production that stays with us throughout the journey.

Chiming Guitars and a Love for Fine Craftsmanship

It must be said, the cruise does occasionally doze off (Van Wyck Expressway, Diamonds in the Mine), but the drowsiness suits these tracks that prefer a flat approach, where the breadth of the palette is almost secondary. Yet, sometimes teetering on the brink of pastiche (but a significant brink), McCombs adopts all the slightly faded hues that have fed his music. He evokes other figures embedded within the fine lines – more than in the margins – of laid-back songwriting, like his compatriot Kurt Vile (think B’lieve I’m Goin Down), or the English musician Guy Chadwick from The House of Love (and his solo work, Lazy, Soft and Slow from 1998), as well as the polished relaxation expert Chris Cohen.

Chris Cohen, in fact, co-produces much of Interior Live Oak, including the title track that concludes the journey, and notably one of its key pieces, I Never Dream About Trains, a confession shaped into a ballad as beautiful as John Darnielle’s work (The Mountain Goats) when he embraces his mellowness (The Slow Parts on Death Metal Albums on Dark in Here in 2021). Also noteworthy are the country elasticity of Who Removed the Cellar Door?, the pop vibes of Miss Mabee and Juvenile, and the delicate chiming guitar riffs that sprinkle several tracks on the album, which is also haunted by figures like the dancer Lola Montez (Lola Montez Danced the Spider Dance) – but mostly by a genuine love for well-done work.

Interior Live Oak (Domino/Sony Music). Released on August 15.