Most Nashville insiders know what a guitar phenom Megan McCormick is, but not all of them are aware of her songwriting prowess. Over the past seven or so years, what started as roughly hewn talent has been honed into a brilliantly burnished craft. The edges are smoother, the finish is finer.
McCormick has always exhibited an artistic maturity far beyond her 20-something years and that, too, has deepened. Mid-tempo “ballads” (for lack of a better descriptor) are her sweet spot. Tales of broken promises and broken hearts litter her verses, delivered by a smoky ache of a voice that is wonderfully reminiscent of Everything But the Girl’s Tracey Thorn. The power of the performance lies in its restraint and in its resolve. And so it is with McCormick’s latest single, “Angel,” that all of those elements fuse together in glorious fashion. 

The tune starts out as a feather-light whisper and could continue on that way with nary a complaint. But then comes b-section and all bets are off as things fly toward the chorus. Even then, though, the production stays appropriately airy, beautifully buoyant. If McCormick’s upcoming EP stays true to “Angel”‘s flight plan, it’s going to be a wonderfully wild ride.