Lifelong songwriter extraordinaire Sid Hagan and the Right Click gang bring talent and passion back to the stage, with the long-awaited release of their completed, self-titled album Right Click.
The impressive and established musical line-up features Brian Wooten, Marvin Taylor, John Spittle, Sid Hagan, Brent McCullough, Michael Medina, and Mare Carmody. Mare is the newest addition, and brings female vocals to brighten the dynamic further still, and is a prolific songwriter and vocal talent in her own right.
It’s a bright and uplifting introduction, as Not Enough Time pours through to contrast the beauty of a country rock arrangement with the depth and insight of a heart-breaking set of reflections on life and the passing of time.
Juxtaposition is mighty, the music wonderful and easy to get onboard with. Songwriting strength is key though, and the artistry forever follows suit. Whatever the conceptual intentions or mood, you can hear this in the voices, the instrumentation, the space and the fullness accordingly.
Carolina Moon quickly injects a sultry blues groove, as Mare Carmody showcases her own singer and songwriter abilities, with a stylish arrangement of slide guitar, electric guitars, live drums and striking vocals.
Sid Hagan himself wrote In Her Spaces, a song about his experience of taking care of a friend’s home while she was away. Sid’s voice is forever a comfort, familiar and genuine; gentle yet distinct. The song has an acoustic feel, warm and intimate, and aptly reflects the recognisable sentiments of material possessions with the limitless power to remind us of those we care for.
Arrangement matters, and we consistently move form the upbeat and mildly weighty, to the softer and more finger-picked, as these nine originals wander through the room.
Brian Wooten wrote track four, the refreshingly wonderful My Dream Come True. The song celebrates his forty-year marriage to Sherry, and delivers a self-performed arrangement that lays bare the true diversity of a fantastic multi-instrumentalist and songwriter.
After this, Marvin and Raven Taylor’s song My Poor Heart features the delicacy of Sid’s voice, as we venture into a heart-breaking journey, but with a welcomed uplift in its groove; and a poetic nostalgia lurking between moments of melancholy.
The unforgettable Sorrow fits beautifully within the latter half of the project, before the bluesy soulful stomp of Things I Missed reminds us to be present and appreciate all that we have right now. Then we move into the slick and stylish electric guitar play of What is That Light – a bright and increasingly inspiring song, again written by Marvin and Raven Taylor. A personal favourite, rather anthemic, unignorably joyful, and no doubt the perfect addition to a live show should we get the chance to experience the Right Click ensemble in action.
With The Lights Out wraps things up, a shoulder-swaying and funky Sid Hagan original, relaying the sights seen while driving at night in Charlottesville. This simple imagery evolves into a much more vast exploration of life and the world at large, and naturally presents a catchy and rather intoxicating closing track, which sets the mood brilliantly in terms of the escapism and imaginative experience of late-night driving.
In my view, a superb collection of songs – diverse enough to hold attention, thoughtful enough to connect on a profound and personal level. In Sid Hagan’s own words, however, the Right Click album encapsulates the journey of “Old folks exploring infinite sonic rabbit holes”.
There’s always so much to be said for great music that takes its time to emerge, and does so simply because the true artists behind it continued to dream and create and play. Right Click resounds with precisely that kind of energy and freedom and unity.
Album out Mid-August via DistroKid. Download Right Click.
