Michael McDermott is a man who knows what it’s like to be the next big thing. At this point in his career, the comparisons between his voice and Americana's patriarch, Bob Dylan, have stretched from 1991 with the release of his debut album, 620 W. Surf, and his recent releases as the front of Irish-American roots group, The Westies. With the release of his latest solo project, Willow Springs, McDermott lays bare some of the motivations behind these comparisons.

The opening and title track, Willow Springs, is nothing but a testament to this fact. He hits the ground running with a song that not only sounds like Dylan but also channels his style in the writing. Blending poignant observations ("Never understood why / Heaven would have a gate") with captivating imagery (The diner's dark with dreams undone / Narcotic nightingales have sung /The tortured songs for everyone / In the cavalcade"), McDermott again cements his status as one of the great songwriters of his generation. From the outset it's apparent this album is going to be full of contradictions. It challenges the listener to keep up and follow along. Gone are the allusions to moral ambiguity using the seedy underbelly of New York's West side. This album is built on metaphors for events that seem to come straight from McDermott's life.

Sonically and lyrically the album continues McDermott's exploration of the duality of human existence. Long shots that pay off are a frequent theme. It makes you want to have hope. A Half Empty Kind of Guy is an ode to pessimism where McDermott makes it a point to mention that while he struggles to see the good he "keeps on keepin' on". A few tracks later, "Let A Little Light In" highlights the effectiveness of encouraging persistence and positivity to bring about change in one's life over a bright, cheery backing track. On Getaway Car, McDermott reinforces this idea using his knack for repetition ("I've gotta getaway... I've gotta getaway... I've gotta getaway car") to take what could simply be a song about a stickup man's last score and transform it into a piece about the hope of redemption and living a better life.

After the roller coaster career he's had over the past two and a half decades it's refreshing to see him persevere. A lesser artist may have given up and thrown in the towel. McDermott's not only still making music, he's confronting some of the very issues that caused him to stumble with a clarity that that only comes from looking back on a dark moment from a better place. Hopefully, this album isn't McDermott's last score and he gives listeners more chances to gain insight into his brilliant mind.