Bill Mallonee

Item: Dear Life
Author: Brian A. Smith

Dear Life

(2004)

Reviewed by Brian A. Smith

Discogs Bandcamp Apple Music TIDAL YouTube Music

Label FundamentalThe Phantom Tollbooth2004

alternative country americana country folk rock

After a three album flirtation with British pop stylings, Dear Life marks a return, of sorts, to the alt country sounds Bill Mallonee was once known for. While it should not be mistaken for "Son of Audible Sigh," there is more of a country feel to several of the songs here, particularly in Jake Bradley's guitar tones, which resemble nothing more than Johnny Cash's sound.

Mallonee has had a well-documented career of ups and downs, plateaus and valleys, with record companies, a plethora of band members coming and going, and a Neil Young-type approach that prevents him from being stuck into one category of music. That history influences some of the tunes on Dear Life, where there is a sense of melancholy mixed with hope.

"After All This Dust Settles Down" sums up Mallonee's career to date. It mentions the trials of his career, his need for a good wife to stand beside him, the songs, and the fans who became willing patrons in financing this album. "Where the Light Does Fall" is a plea for us to find the good within us, and perhaps to catch a glimpse of what God sees in us. "High...and Lonesome" is a contradiction that exists in most people, a craving for recognition, while realizing it isn't what truly matters. "Who Will You Love?" and "The Kidz on Drugs (Or Life)" celebrate (and mourn) the different areas of life where people try to find their peace. Both deal somewhat with attempting to mature and forget the past as well.

"I Will Never Be Normal (After This)" is a song that parallels true love on earth with the love of God, and how relying on both cuts through the burdensome periods of life. "I Will Miss You Girl" depicts a man contemplating his own death, ready to see God but ruing the time he will not have with his love. "Songwriter (Numb)" should be seen as a self-examination, an essay about the past, the present, and dealing with loss and failure. It may be Mallonee's most introspective song to date.

Dear Life is almost the album I was hoping for. Mallonee seemingly has fallen in love with the falsetto, and at times in his weakest point vocally (especially on "Who Will You Love?," but thankfully, it is less present here than his last two releases. "Ready and Red-Eye" strikes me as a song title that was too convenient, and was written because he fell in love with the phrase. Not an egregious crime, but not one of the stronger tunes here either. "Carol Merrill," concerning a boyhood crush on the Let's Make a Deal sidekick, fares slightly better, but feels like an outtake that doesn't fit with the rest of the disc.

Bill Mallonee is an amazing songwriter, who has the ability to open a vein and let us see the pain and the angst that goes into his writing. After 18 projects, and hundreds of songs, one wishes he could find commercial success. It pains me to say that Dear Life, while a good album, will not be the catapult to security, especially when viewed in the light of albums like Blister Soul, Audible Sigh, and Summershine. A near miss.

3.5 tocks