Country music is, firstly, quality storytelling. Instrumentation is important, particularly pedal steel and fiddle, but what makes a great and relatable country song is, primarily, songwriting.
Leon Majcen is an artist who grew up, from a young age, listening to Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and John Prine. He knows about the importance of the lyrics, and has a great talent when it comes to pick up the appropriate words, put them together and create the kind of song that will make its path deep into your mind, little by little, and will stir your emotions.
Son of Bosnian war refugees, Leon Majcen grew up in Florida’s Gulf coast, where he worked filleting and packing fish, before moving to Nashville and starting his musical career.
His self-titled album, released on May 31st, is his second LP, 4 years after his 2020 debut album, “Back Till I’m Gone“. Leon Majcen coproduced it with Andrew Boullianne (who produced Majcen’s debut album), and wrote the whole ten songs.
Among all the wonderful tunes that are part of this album, “Wandering Fast” is undoubtedly particularly outstanding. With such an excellent combination of brilliant songwriting and beautiful music, this masterpiece is, in my opinion, a serious contender for country song of the year.
“Mangrove Shores” is one of those songs that you appreciate more and more after listening to it several times. Wonderfully written and perfectly relatable, it’s an evidence of Leon Majcen’s talent when it comes to use little moments of your life so as to make a masterful country song. I think that’s it’s completely fair to compare this song to Guy Clark’s “Rita Ballou“, as I read it on X (Twitter).
“Been running like a child without a home
Ain’t got no place I gotta go
Feeling down like a dog without a bone
Take me back where the gulf meets the mangrove shores“
Mangrove Shores
“Blue Sky” is another tremendous song on this album. With great storytelling and excellent instrumentation, it’s a gem for any country music lover. You can also check out its excellent music video.
“Longliner’s blues“, with its wonderful harmonica, and “Sunday Morning Coffee“, are also particularly outstanding. The way that Leon Majcen writes and sings those stories, with emotion and elegance, is particularly impressive.
The splendid “Gone, Tired and Blue” with its subtle harmonica, the brilliant “Separate Ways“, with beautiful pedal steel and harmonica, and the impressive “When The Whippoorwill Cries” are another masterful country songs.
With subtlety, refinement and sometimes poetry, Leon Majcen released a stellar album, full of wonderful storytelling, relatable songs and quality music. This self-titled LP is one of the records that you must absolutely listen to, this year, if you love excellent songwriting and traditional country. No doubt that it will be part of the best albums of 2024.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 