Category: Press/Reviews

15 Dec 2011

Press/Reviews

Review – Company Town – Victory Music Magazine

Christopher Anderson – Victory Music – Seattle, Washington (Dec 13, 2011) Rob McHale: Company TownSinger/Songwriter Rob McHale: Company Town 2010. Wooden Door Records. www.robmchale.com The opening track “Company Town” tells…

International Music and Entertainment Association ( IMEA )

Folk Artist of the Year 2019 Folk Album of the Year 2019(Prophets on the Boulevard)

2020-01-20T12:14:27-05:00

Folk Artist of the Year 2019 Folk Album of the Year 2019(Prophets on the Boulevard)

https://robmchale.com/testimonials/international-music-and-entertainment-association-imea/

Lonesome Highway

North Carolina based folk singer Rob McHale’s albums are consistently well turned out, both in musical content, cover design and...

Declan Culliton
Lonesome Highway Magazine

2018-11-08T06:29:56-05:00

Declan Culliton
Lonesome Highway Magazine

North Carolina based folk singer Rob McHale’s albums are consistently well turned out, both in musical content, cover design and packaging. McHale is very much a disciple of his fellow Statesman Woody Guthrie and his songs follow a similar trail, with the emphasis often on the environment and equality. The thirteen tracks on the album are all self-written with the exception of Willie Dixon’s Little Red Rooster, which is given a makeover and presented in a delightfully lazy J.J.Cale type delivery. A follower of Guthrie McHale may be, but his musical style often has more in common with British Folk than closer to his home State. Up to fifteen instruments and ten players were employed in the recording altogether including McHale’s regular players, his brother Pat who adds harmonica and his guitar player Mike Alicke. Four female vocalists also contribute. The striking streetscape cover painting by David Merck depicts a rundown town with an animated bearded bible wielding evangelist preaching to a group of people, while around the corner a lady of the night invites custom from a passing motorist and a presumably dead body lies on the pavement. A couple of yards down the street a guitarist (possibly McHale) sits busking on the street. Standout tracks are the breezy opener Common Ground, the gentle tribute song Woody’s Shoes and When I’m With You, a rocky closer that bookends the album. - Declan Culliton, Lonesome Highway

https://robmchale.com/testimonials/lonesome-highway/

“definitely one of the best Folk/Americana Albums thus far in 2018”

“Rob McHale’s new release, Prophets on the Boulevard, is one of the few newer albums that offers a cohesive group...

– Ken “Dr. K” Nagelberg, Host of “It’s For Folks,”
WHYR, Baton Rouge(LA) Community Radio & the Pacifica Radio Network

2018-08-04T15:38:26-04:00

– Ken “Dr. K” Nagelberg, Host of “It’s For Folks,”
WHYR, Baton Rouge(LA) Community Radio & the Pacifica Radio Network

“Rob McHale’s new release, Prophets on the Boulevard, is one of the few newer albums that offers a cohesive group of songs about American people, places, and events. McHale’s smooth vocals blend with Chris Rosser’s production, adding just enough instrumentation to create a full sound without destroying the folk authenticity. Prophets on the Boulevard is definitely one of the best folk/Americana albums thus far in 2018, consistently good from first song to last.”

https://robmchale.com/testimonials/definitely-one-of-the-best-folk-americana-albums-thus-far-in-2018/

“I was personally convinced of the power of his songs when I saw him live”

"On October 25, 2019 I was personally convinced of the power of his songs when I saw him live. Yes,...

Wolfgang Geise
Music and Such Magazine
Berlin,Germany

2020-01-25T15:42:47-05:00

Wolfgang Geise
Music and Such Magazine
Berlin,Germany

"On October 25, 2019 I was personally convinced of the power of his songs when I saw him live. Yes, it was a nice experience, not only to have met a very personable person, but also to have attended a very special kind of history lesson."

https://robmchale.com/testimonials/3680/

“Music of a hundred years ago …”

"Music of a hundred years ago, from yesterday or today - whenever you place them, the songs of Rob McHale...

Tom Franks,
Folk Words Magazine
London , England

2018-08-04T15:25:52-04:00

Tom Franks,
Folk Words Magazine
London , England

"Music of a hundred years ago, from yesterday or today - whenever you place them, the songs of Rob McHale should be taught in school, because they reflect vibrant history, the value of tradition and living social comment. This North Carolina-based poet, musician and composer writes folk Americana songs that walk you through their narratives in an entirely involving way. They bring home the wealth of heritage and place it firmly in the present, they observe the days we live in and offer valuable meaning."

https://robmchale.com/testimonials/music-of-a-hundred-years-ago/