I Don't Need You Now

Fergus McCormick is an urban folk-rock singer/songwriter whose songs, on his third album, I Don't Need You Now, explore what it's like to be an urban folk-rock singer/songwriter and what it's like to be in a romantic relationship. Neither turns out to be a simple joy. Singing in a reedy tenor, McCormick reveals the obvious influence of Bob Dylan and the occasional influences of John Lennon ("If You Only Knew") and (on "The Drifter") Buffalo Springfield-era Neil Young. But he recalls Dylan less than he does the second echelon of '60s singer/songwriters who drew directly from Dylan, figures like Tom Rush, Eric Andersen, and David Blue. The tunes are often familiar, and the lyrics are full of easy rhymes. McCormick's challenge is to break through such a well-established style and do something new with it, and he doesn't entirely succeed, although he does establish a distinct persona. He is not done any favors by the recording, mixing, and mastering, which results in a mushy sound that seems to anticipate MP3 compression, resulting in a sonic effect not unlike a radio that is not quite set to the right station.