Chafin McDonald – Fractured Hearts
Chafin McDonald – Fractured Hearts – Album Review
As to how Country-based records end up on these pages of ours…I’ll never know! It’s a blessing and a curse y’all. A blessing because it’s clear that my methods of being objective throughout the years still give artists/bands outside my audio diet the confidence to come on by & see what I think…don’t get it twisted…I truly appreciate it. It’s a curse too though, because man…it can always be a challenge to listen to something outside of what you would normally have rockin’ on your playlists. That being said…I like to think there’s more crossover sound here in what Chafin McDonald has created than any single genre would describe. I’ve been checking out Fractured Hearts over this past week, and there are plenty of reasons to tune in and listen to it…lemme see if I can explain a few of’em to ya here today.
“Love’s Final Gift” starts out Fractured Hearts with an extremely pretty melody, and the melancholy you’ll find that comes after it through the lyricism is a good pairing in tandem. It’s interesting in the sense that this is of course, branded as a Country album like I mentioned in the intro, and the first things you hear in the piano-led music wouldn’t be what most folks would typically associate with the genre. Chafin’s making a choice in that regard…and sure, there are guitar parts that’ll help bend this closer towards Country music further on down the line I suppose…but I think we all kind of have to start really admitting that what Country music has become, is what Pop was. Ain’t no reason as to why things in music shouldn’t be shifting in some way when you consider the fact that the rest of the world has in the background whilst we’re listening. Anyhow. As far as I understand it, Chafin set out to make a record full of bittersweet tunes, and in that respect, “Love’s Final Gift” certainly hits the mark on target and establishes the album’s demeanor & tangible emotional weight immediately. “Love’s Final Gift” is one of those songs that really echoes the complexity of life itself and what we go through in relationships. It’s not easy to let things go, but sometimes you don’t have a choice in the matter…not if you really love someone by definition. It’s one of the hardest things to understand, and even when you do, that doesn’t make it any easier…but when you simply want the best for someone, sometimes you’ve gotta recognize that they could be happier somewhere else, or with somebody else, and as tough as it might be, you gotta let them be free to find that out. “Love’s Final Gift” speaks towards a lot of that & more – Chafin’s done an exceptional job with the lyrics and balancing the devastating feelings with the right amount of hope. To be completely real with you, this is the kind of song that’ll help a whole lot of folks tuning in to listen…they’ll find catharsis and healing inside these words, much the same as Chafin did.
Yeah…I mean…we’re all so quick to label things so that we can fit into some strange box for the algorithms to find us. Do I think “Pictures Of You” is a Country tune? Heck no…but maybe that’s just me. Am I thankful for anything that’s not outright Country coming through these speakers of mine? You betcha. At the very least, it gives me a chance of liking things on a more personal level than merely appreciating the technical stuff. “Pictures Of You” is a genuinely great song in my opinion…I’m absolutely impressed with the craft that Chafin displays in the writing and melody here. We’re talking about a tune that resembles something more along the lines of a tune you’d find in the Chris Isaak realm of sound, but McDonald is clearly making a case for crossover sound more-so than any one particular genre as Fractured Hearts begins to unfold. Heck, at the very start of “Pictures Of You,” I could even imagine an artist like Chris Cornell singing this song…that’s how much ground this song ends up covering in the range of its sonic palette, particularly in the vocals. “Pictures Of You” is such an interesting concept when it comes right down to it…a lot of this song deals with how those pictures are memories that are essentially still as fresh and real as if the people in them are still right there with ya – which is really what they’re like, aren’t they? You put’em down, you snap back into reality, and it can be a real lonely place sometimes, especially when the people in those images are no longer around. The Cure’s “Pictures Of You” deals with a hauntingly similar subject…and believe me, I’ve got plenty of experience with that tune given they’re one of my favorite bands and a previous stalker left that song on repeat on my answering machine over and over way back when I was still in high school. Good times, good times. I like the distance in the guitar on this track though…it’s another example of a great pairing between the concept and the sound itself…you’ll find lots of those pop up here on this record by Chafin McDonald.
But…there we go…my luck has finally run out, dog gone it. “Brand New Start” is Country as Country can be, and there’s no hiding it on this track. The crossover sound has disappeared, and we’re specifically in one category & one category alone this time around. It’s got a fresh energy to it that you’d associate with a “Brand New Start,” and considering that the lyrics fit right into the theme the title implies, I guess we gotta give credit where credit is due…Chafin had an idea, and he went after it, and here we are. There is some seriously killer fiddle fiddlin’ goin’ on here though, and overall, I think that this came out really well for Chafin McDonald, even if it’s not what I’d consider to be my own personal thing when it comes to the genre, sound, or style. I appreciate the lyricism here…that’s the avenue into this song for me, and I feel like Chafin got the right perspective threaded into this song. I dig how it deals with what it’s like to shake off the cobwebs of an old relationship, and how he goes about describing the clarity that you feel afterwards. Don’t get me wrong…it’s one of those things that everyone you know has gone through in some way, shape, or form – think of how many of your friends broke up with someone, and all of a sudden they find their way back to being their best self! Heck, you’ve probably even been that person yourself whether you realized it or not…and if you’d been that person all along, you might not have even gone through the breakup process in the first place! Humans are the strangest creatures.
Phew. Back into the bliss of the crossover sound that offers me a little bit of reprieve. Country is such a bizarre and confused genre these days. “Sorry For Being Me” is another really well-written tune from McDonald, and there’s no doubt whatsoever that it’s one of the better tracks on the record in that regard. It’s hard to know for sure whether or not Chafin’s got the full maximum potential out of this one or not if I’m being honest with ya…but I’ll say this…if he hasn’t, it’s extremely close. Maybe a couple lines here and there that could have come out just a fraction stronger than they do, but for the most part, I’m really happy about how this track worked out and I feel like the main vocal hook is genuinely awesome. Heartbreaking of course, but awesome all the same. I’ll put it this way – what’s good about this song is undeniably great…how about that? On a technical level, it’s one of the most complex cuts on the album to sing, and truly, I think the singer has done a really commendable job, especially when you consider the heavy weight of the emotions in the content, and the demands this song puts on a voice. I’d say just a little less than half of “Sorry For Being Me” is sung in falsetto…and while singing in that style, or switching back & forth between that and his regular cadence would prove to be an extraordinary challenge for anyone, the dude singing this song actually handles it all with a remarkable professionalism and the grace it requires. It’s delicate when it needs to be, bold when it’s called for…yeah…all-in-all, I think the bittersweet, apologetic nature of “Sorry For Being Me” is highly relatable – don’t you? None of us are perfect. Hindsight is always 20-20. And yet, knowing these things doesn’t make anything any easier for any of us in the aftermath of love, does it? Even when we’re trying to help, or simply be there for the ones we love the most in the best ways that we know how to, we can still be doing damage we don’t fully understand, or possibly holding back somebody’s potential by holding on too hard to what we think we can’t live without. “Sorry For Being Me” is a powerful anthem for those out there that know they can’t help but to be their own worst enemy…despite our best intentions, we tend to get in the way of ourselves way more than most of us would ever like to admit.
We’re comin’ from different worlds in terms of what we like and what we listen to, and that’s okay. I’ve been listening to IDLES and Marc Rebillet for what feels like the past year straight in my spare time, which is a heck of a long way away from the sound of a duet like you’ll hear on “One Last Kiss Goodbye.” It’s an adjustment, that much I can tell ya. Here’s the thing though…I can probably get through the more Country-based tunes and not complain too much…but when things start to drift a bit too far towards the Adult Contemporary realm, it’s always harder to maintain the objectivity I need. So look…I’ll say the obvious…the quality is still there, and ultimately, that’s all you can ever hope for on both sides of the speakers. As an artist, all you can ever do is put what you can into the material, and the court of public opinion is always gonna take things in a way that’s far beyond anyone’s control. If you do what you do as well as you can do it though, you give any song you create a chance of finding an audience for it. I fully appreciate that “One Last Kiss Goodbye” is well-made, even if it’s not really my style of tune. Like, I love hearing how “One Last Kiss Goodbye” ends up leveling-up just past the two minute mark and finds an inspired spark to give it that extra something special & the duet itself is well conceived, realized by two highly capable singers.
Speaking of Country…I can hear it about to flare up again on “It Ain’t Mine Anymore,” despite the quaint and subtle beginning it has. Soon enough, there it is! Honestly, it’s not all that bad though…it’s got a sweet playfulness to it…like…I mean…Better Than Ezra has tracks that are pretty close to the sound of something like this, and I listen to those guys all the time. Do I love the lyricism on “It Ain’t Mine Anymore?” No! I mean, this is the quintessential definition of Country tunes of how people look at the genre and it’s all ‘I lost my pickup truck, I lost my girl, I lost my house, I lost my dog’ type-stuff – which in a way, is kind of a good thing if you’re going for the blue-collar vibe. Where Chafin most likely loses the audience a little bit is in the mention of a 401K…not too many of those blue-collar folks tend to have those…so this is kind of where McDonald is revealed to be a little more white-collar than blue, you feel me? I don’t judge here, I just observe. I’m also kidding around a bit. Look…if we’re talkin’ about what Country is all about, you’ve gotta admire how Chafin has crafted these lyrics…they might be treading well-worn terrain, but I really like how he’s paired the most devastating words he’s written with some of the most upbeat music to provide a serious layer of undeniable contrast that’ll separate who’s really listening and paying attention from those that aren’t. I mean, heck, it’s catchy…there’s a good chance that some of you out there will be singing along with this one long before you realize what it’s all about.
“Dance Away With You” is another high quality tune on the record if you ask me. I really like the vocal melody in this song…it comes close to some other songs I’ve heard out there in the design of the verses, but it’s not so close that you’d confuse it with anything else or feel like it’s too derivative or comparable. Again, this is borderline Country at best…but like I’ve been tellin’ ya, that works for me. The addition of slide guitars and pedal steels and such can’t fool me good sir…you’re still rockin’ with what’s essentially a Pop song, and in this case, nearly a standard Pop/Rock type of vibe. I’m cool with it though…”Dance Away With You” really highlights Chafin’s ability to tell a story through his songs, not only through the lyricism, but in the way that the music is structured as well. I dig that…when you hear a pairing like that, it helps reinforce the words and the music provides the extra emphasis where it belongs. I mean, look at it this way – if you slapped Ed Sheeran’s name in front of this song, it’d just be an instant worldwide megahit and no one would think twice about it. “Dance Away With You” isn’t quite done in his style, and I get that – but you also know what I mean…if Chafin McDonald shipped this tune his way, it’d be surging its way up the charts to number one while you read this review. That’s not to say I think that good ol’ Ed could do much better than what I hear Chafin McDonald doing on the version we hear now – it’s more of a comment on how tough it is for independent artists to get the credit they deserve when the material is pretty much of equal caliber. I think a lot of people out there will love “Dance Away With Me” and rightly so, it’s one of the album’s most gorgeous tunes from start to finish. It still retains the heartbreaking melancholy that so much of this record deals with, but it’s most comfortable focusing on what makes it beautiful, and the sweetness of this song is likely what listeners will connect with most.
If I recall correctly (and I do…I promise), “Make It Through” is one of two songs I knew before the album was officially finished. I heard this track back towards the end of December in 2023, long in advance. It was a good tune then, it’s still a good tune now. I always think it’s interesting how time and experience can play such a significant role in what we do. Back then, I’d imagine this was one of Chafin’s better tunes, and now, in the context of this record and how far he’s come in what’s relatively a short amount of time, it’s surrounded by arguably stronger material for the most part. Does it fit on Fractured Hearts? Sure! Why not? Chafin’s wandered all over the map here stylistically…we can have a debate about whether this does/doesn’t fit into the Country section overall I suppose, but truly, the diversity of this lineup has proven to be one of its biggest assets…and that kinda means anything he wants to play is pretty much fair game and could fit into the right spot in this set-list. “Make It Through” is all about finding resilience…not just personally, but also for others too. It’s about how we want things to be a certain way, and continually find that life has got a whole different idea about how things are gonna go. Like it or not, we’re often passengers along for the ride in our own lives, rather than being the ones driving the car. We learn to go with the flow…we learn that good or bad, the experience is always what we’re left with…and we do the best we can to find some meaning in that. Again, it doesn’t make anything that we go through any easier while we’re goin’ through it – but eventually, we “Make It Through” and find our way to an understanding that we can live with, and an acceptance of what is.
“Vance No More.” Well if Chafin McDonald is about to get political, they already had me at the title of this tune! Alright…it’s probably not about that…in fact I know that it’s now…which at the end of the day, if the goal is to get people listening, that’s probably for the best. That being said, it’s probably a little bit of a tougher task in getting the people’s attention with “Vance No More” regardless of what it is or isn’t about. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of good stuff in here – like the vocalizations surrounding the verses for example…that’s beautiful stuff! All-in-all, I think there’s a valid argument to be made that vocally, you might actually be hearing one of Chafin McDonald’s stronger performances. It’s another challenging one in many ways, but you can hear how distinctly clear and confidently this song is sung too…honestly, the singer is delivering a stunning turn on the mic that shouldn’t be ignored. As to whether or not that’s enough to rescue this track from being a little pale in terms of the noticeable dynamics missing that would typically get people listening…I can’t really speak on that. I know what tends to get folks paying attention, and I can tell ya that the laidback energy of “Vance No More” is gonna be a tough sell to the masses & that’s likely the reality this song faces ahead. Doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be listened to, and whether or not people listen is by no means how the quality of a song should ever be measured…but yeah…this is gonna be an uphill battle by comparison to the rest of the lineup. I’d argue that Chafin McDonald takes a more decisive step towards art with a track like this as opposed to simply making music for the masses, and that counts for something in my world. I like the poetic aspect of this song, which is rooted in Chafin’s family line by his “great grandfather times six, the reverend Abner Vance.” How cool is that y’all? Believe me, the story of Abner continues to get cooler and cooler the more you read about it. Tragic in spots for sure, but historically, really freakin’ cool. According to the notes I’ve got here, “Abner was tried, convicted and hung back in the early 1800’s for killing a man” – and he was “actually the grandfather of Devil Ance Hatfield” – yes, those Hatfields. Anyhow. You get what I mean…not every song needs to do the same things that others do or function in the same way – you might not be blasting “Vance No More” from your porch in the summertime or down the highway while you go for a rip, but the dimension of artistic integrity it possesses deserves a shout-out from me. I know for myself personally, I’d put this up there with the album’s better tunes.
“Reunion” is the track that traces back the furthest in regards to what I’ve personally heard from Chafin. Way back in like, the summer of 2023 when I was first introduced to the man’s music, that’s when I got to have a listen to “Reunion” and share my thoughts on it. I feel differently about this track than I do about the inclusion of “Make It Through” if I’m being real with ya. I think it’s easy to make a case for either song in terms of how versatile the sound of this record is…but yeah…if we’re talking about which of the two tracks has still got more tread on its tires, it’s “Reunion” every single time. I think it’s a truly fantastic song from start to finish, and could even make for a great single/gateway into Fractured Hearts for the people out there. I don’t always recommend overtly religious tunes to be the single, because there’s no doubt that can somewhat pigeonhole an artist into appearing like they do one specific thing, but when you’ve got universal sound, you can kind of get away with it. I mean, look at it this way – I don’t have a religious bone in my body and “Reunion” still completely appeals to me from start to finish. That’s the thing about quality songwriting and crossover sound combined…if you’re being genuinely objective, a song can be about pretty much anything, and the masses will still be happy to listen to it no matter what it might be about. In any event, as far as I understand it and can hear for myself, the whole slate of nuts & bolts have been tightened up and “Reunion” has gotten a complete refresh. The song itself, and what made it great back then, is still completely intact…and that’s really what matters the most. I’d be surprised if anyone out there came to any other conclusion than hearing this as the great song that it is…to me, “Reunion” is an exemplary example of universal sound that connects to everyone.
“Fade To Light” is the shortest track on the album by a Country mile (pun intended!) – it’s just over the ninety-second mark. That being said, it’s spectacularly beautiful, and if Chafin wants to make a record filled with instrumental songs like this, you can count me in. I’d be among the first to listen, and I’m sure that I’d be pounding on his door for another spin. Now…don’t get it twisted – I’m not saying that “Fade To Light” is the best song on the album, or that you’d feel like it is – I’m merely speculating on what happens to appeal to me on a personal level. “Fade To Light” is much closer to something that would typically be found on a playlist of mine, that’s what I’m getting at. Do I think it’s perfect? Actually, yes. I don’t think there’s really anything else that “Fade To Light” needs other than what it already has. Do I wish there was more of it? Also yes. At 1:34 in length, with those last four seconds really being totally silent…yeah man…I’d have taken “Fade To Light” at about triple its size if I was to get my way on things. I’ll forgive’em though…from the sounds of the content on Fractured Hearts, Chafin McDonald has been through more than enough and they don’t need me complainin’ at’em, even it’s just to say I want MORE of the good thing they started here on “Fade To Light.” This is the conclusive ending the album deserved though, and a fantastic example of how the melody in music can often say more than words ever could. All-in-all, I’ve had a great time listening to Fractured Hearts. It’s been a longtime in the making, but Chafin McDonald & everyone involved with it brought their best & made it worth the wait.
Find music by Chafin McDonald at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F5X97CVV
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