fergus

The stripped back, bare-bones arrangements of the latest collection of songs from Fergus McKay serves to highlight the fine quality of his wry, insightful lyrics. The songs are stories and pictures of life, being broke, imprisonment, heartbreak and loss put into words and music with sensitivity, humour and wit.
Fergus incorporates the influences of artists such as Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Billy Bragg and the great bluesmen into his own style, which is by turns folky, bluesy and even vaudevillian.
Having spent years busking, playing in bands and eventually releasing "California Screaming" on PMW records with Edwyn Collins at the production helm, Fergus realised that he was happier as a solo artist than as part of a band. After an acrimonious band split and taking a few years off to concentrate on divorce and bankruptcy among other things, he moved to Scotland and started to put his experiences to song. These songs are written and performed from the heart, often born of bitter experience, but always with a knowing wink.
Some recent reviews of "Sit Tight" at Garageband:
An Edward Gorey picture in song
The minor-key melody and bare-bones arrangement sound like a long-lost English folk song, and the lyrics could have been written by Jack the Ripper ("Take a step this way down this alleyway, by the light of day you'll be gone.")
Lucky the lyrical darkness is balanced by a fair amount of wry humor ("And I do believe just the tramps and thieves will be there to grieve when you're gone"), and a few whimsical touches from the guitar help to lighten the mood.
The singer almost over-enunciates his deliverly in a wavering voice that sounds a bit like Arthur Lee or Syd Barrett, making the performance quite enjoyable in nearly every regard.
Very Original
This is a very surreal sounding song with excellent lyrics. (Which is so, so rare these days). It is well sung and performed on the acoustic and harmonica and he conjures up dark and magically 'Nightmare before Christmas' type vibes. Very Original!
things that go bump in the night...
Minimal acoustic track, well played instrumentally and a nice mouth organ part..very british in origin something about it reminds me of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band in style and strangeness..I like it..also reminds me of the 'Monster Mash' in content. production isnt bad and it certainly wins points with me for originality..would like to hear more from this artist...
...
And reviews of I wish I was as happy as my dog
Real Blues HERE!
This is a throwback to ragtime delta blues-sung with wisdom and feeling-Every dog has his day-this guy has had his,every classic blues lyric ever written is in this song.A great little harmonica creeps in the background from a reverberated distance.This is the way these type of blues should be-so listen up-and listen loud,this is as good as it will get!
Reviewed by: theslowlearners from Rockville, Maryland
Minimalist Blues
I love this song right from the start. Just a guy with a guitar singing the blues and torturing a harmonica. A little reminiscent of Leon Redbone with out all the vocal accents.
It’s the simplicity and the lyrics combined with the vocals that give this song its charm. Don’t change a thing.
Whatever any one says, I now wish that I was as happy as my dog!
Great job!