Meghan Clarisse – Shadows of a Ghost Town
This collection will strike listeners as a personal & poetic exploration that touches upon places, memories & mortality. It focuses on the traditions of the American West with music that would be accomplished most genuinely through Country, & bluegrass blended into the land & celebrating it.
The Shadows of a Ghost Town (Drops Sept 26/Howlin’ Dog Records/37:44) tunes were recorded by Don Richmond (acoustic & Weissenborn slide guitar/string bass/accordion/ organ/mandolin/harmony). The production penetrates the landscape of vast skies, happy trails, & abandoned places. They capture by way of the tender melodies the present & the lost. The cactus, rocks, sage brush, dust & the air itself take shape as characters on the Meghan Clarisse musical canvas. Quite a concept.
The majority of songs in this showcase are light-hearted with tuneful mandolins, fiddles & pure, graceful vocals. There’s plenty of country/bluegrass shadings but nothing heavily laced – each composition is cerebral & serene. “Fire & Fly” is the most mainstream component. Gentle, well-constructed & presented. It has a little arrangement drama & it’s compelling. Meghan has an excellent voice, but on this tune, it really finds itself. Meghan doesn’t attempt many vocal acrobatics, though she has the ability. She seems to be more concerned with poignancy, integrating her bluegrass presence with conventional stylings to allow her music to reach a wider audience.
Her forte is balladry with tightly woven instrumentation that merges with the vocal temperature as an equal instrument. There’s a lot of individuality in her compositions. Commerciality seeps in with “Strong,” which is a more easy-listening dive without compromising her Country roots. Lyrics are cleverly rendered & seldom cliché-heavy. With lyrics like “I closed the casket on your promises,” Meghan is sure to grip ears on “The Ghost of California.” A near-lullaby type performance with pedal steel, mandolin & fiddle, seamlessly beautiful & surrounding Ms. Clarisse’s voice like an early morning mist.
Lots to enjoy in this relatively tame Meghan Clarisse collection. The songs with repeated listening will burrow their way into your conscience & make a home in your memory. Music isn’t always about flash & dazzle & wild solos. Sometimes it’s about being able to sleep soundly with whiskey in your milk. This is pensive stuff. It’s what’s needed today.
Highlights – “Desert Run,” “Here I Am Again,” “The Catch That Got Away,” “Fire & Fly,” “Never Going Home,” “Strong,” “The Ghost of California,” & “Life of the Party.”
Musicians – Meghan (acoustic guitar/vocals), Scott Patzer (drums), Dave MacGregor (bass/rhythm, hi-string & acoustic guitars), Todd Clayton (pedal steel/dobro/harmony), Dave Shapiro (electric & baritone guitars/banjo/fiddle/mandolin), Jimmy Stadler (piano), Mark Gabert (electric guitar), & Larry Zanier (lead vocals – “The Catch That Got Away”).
A 16pp stitched lyric insert is included. CD @ Amazon & Apple + https://www.megcmusic.com/shadows-of-a-ghost-town/
Song Premiere: https://americanahighways.org/2025/09/08/song-premiere-meghan-clarisse-copper-and-quartz/
