Hey La Hey
- Rock/Pop/Americana
- 2009
- Buy the CD
Reviewed by Mike Farley
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The album kicks off with the boppy piano-driven ditty "So Am I," a track that also closes the album in a darker, more stripped-down (and just as strong) reprise. Surprisingly, the second song features the lead vocals of Kate York, and while she has a beautiful voice akin to Mindy Smith, it’s curious why McDermott would put a song he doesn’t sing so early in the set. Then again, it’s one of the best songs here. McDermott has hooks coming at you from everywhere, and two of the catchiest are "I Wanna Know Why" and "The Great American Novel," as well as the Springsteen-esque "Dream Come True." And while he’s as compelling as any artist you’ll ever hear when it’s just him the piano, as on "Carry Your Cross," the best track of all is the quirky, alt-pop title track.
It doesn’t even make sense to wonder why a guy like McDermott is not an international superstar, because the music industry has changed drastically, to the point where logic no longer applies. The truth is, the people who love great songs manage to find artists like this, and McDermott does have his share of diehard followers. And Hey La Hey, which may be his best work yet, is sure to please those diehards – and hopefully many more who will hear him for the first time.
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