Me and My Shadows

Michael Misiuk

Michael Misiuk's solo CD is one of the best albums that I have come across in quite some time. Michael fronted The Kreepdown's, one of the best kept secrets of the late 90's. He is probably best remembered as half of the band Acoustic Shack that he was in with his wife Laura through the 90's.

Michael's solo CD is called "Me and My Shadow", and this gem somehow slipped by me when it came out in 2004. This is a great album. Not the typical singer/songwriter stuff here, it goes deeper. If you are a fan of Acoustic Shack, you will welcome Laura's backing vocals here on several songs.

There is a tangible melancholy to the lyrics and the music here, and Michael's voice carries it along gently and brings it home. The album has a total of 11 songs and, for me, I thought it was too short. I could have really liked to have a few more because everything was done so well. There is no filler here at all.

The album starts out with "Content" and is one of my favorite on the CD. The song is basically about things that we want in life, the things that we are striving for and the things that we chase after. The material things that we feel could satisfy, but in the end he sings that, "but I'm satisfied, cuz it's not a good way to die, wanting everything"...

"Time" is the second song here and the music makes you want to drop the top on your car and head down the road with the radio turned up and the wind tying knots in your hair. Michael sings about his family here in this track and the lyrics, though introspective, flow like poetry... " are you old enough to notice, a little young to care, are you somewhere in middle, floating through the air, like a dust cloud on the wheat field, or a storm cloud in the rain, time is precious spend it well, don't let it slip away."

My favorite track is "A Distant Bell" - the lyrics really grab me on this one. It's plain, it's simple and it touches on what I believe that everyone in this life longs for. "We all wanna be loved, wanna feel the touch"

The peppier tracks on this one are "A Good Day" and "Little Darlin" which I believe was probably written for his daughter. Laura and Michael trade the chorus vocals back and forth on the song "Reason", backed up beautifully by a string section that adds a lot of atmosphere.

"Numb" is a beautiful, sad and moving song. The lyrics are short on words, but long on emotion:

 I wonder why you cry

when my eyes are dry

there's no tears

I've done away with fun

it's finally happened,

I've grown numb

darkened days

have begun

it's finally happened

I've grown numb

long dusty road I go

me and my shadow

"Riverside To Mexico", "Sixteen Candles", "A Coupla Weeks" and "Hang On" round out this album. I'm glad that Michael finally did a solo CD. I always really appreciated his voice and it is given room to shine here in abundance. This album is a must for any collection, especially if you like the singer/songwriter/acoustic style with good lyrics about life, love and redemption. You will have a hard time finding this one if you don't already have it, so when you find it scoop it up right away...