This the solo debut from Pat MacDonald, who formerly made up half of the husband/wife duo Timbuk3. The band broke up after the release of 1995’s A Hundred Lovers, and MacDonald decided to downshift from the lush and intricate song structures of Timbuk3 — which often included layer upon layer of everything from samples to steel drums, lutes and washboards — to a stripped-down acoustic guitar vibe.
While cynical wordplay was a staple of Timbuk3’s eclectic, folksy pop, the lyrical content of Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar is even more significant — so much so that the best review of this album would probably be a straight transcript of the lyrics, at times simply hilarious and always laced with a telling dry wit about the world. “Smoke” carries an overall message of despair, but it’s built around lines such as “You are what you cook/I made you look/My life’s an open sore/I can’t compete with red wine and red meat.” MacDonald is more playful on “History Of Man” when he says “This is absurd came the word from Jehovah/You can’t get to heaven in a Chevy Nova/Noah build the ark, we’ve got to start over/The history of man.” Through it all, MacDonald delves deeply into human relationships, exploring the obstacles between people and how they are or aren’t overcome.
MacDonald augments his acoustic guitar with assortment of percussion tracks supplied by Timbuk3 drummer Wally Ingram, plus occasional splashes of pedal steel and saxophone. Despite the starkness of the arrangements, MacDonald’s unusual guitar tunings create a textured and emotive atmosphere that provides an quirky groove for each tune.
MacDonald is more solemn here than he was in the days of “The Future’s So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)”, and introspective tunes such as “Daddy’s Down In The Mine” have an overwhelming power that can put a lump in your throat. Pat MacDonald Sleeps With His Guitar is a brooding search for meaning, a journey well worth taking.