Doug MacLeod — “Between Somewhere and Goodbye” — Reference Recordings
Doug MacLeod is a musical philosopher.
His philosophy lies in his unique musical storytelling built for listening and thinking. It’s poetry set to music. Soul music in the best sense. Music that nourishes the soul with its often-mystical meanderings. And most of all, it’s damn good music.
MacLeod’s music is filled with humor, love and personal vision. All done through his own heartfelt, eloquent lyrics, driven by his elegant acoustic guitar work. All colored with the many shades of the blues.
He credits his highly personal music to his first mentor, Ernest Banks of Toano, Va., of whom he says: “He instilled in me the honesty. He told me ‘Never write or sing about what you don’t know about and never play a note you don’t believe.'” And you only have to listen to a few verses of any of his more than 400 songs to find that personal vision.
It’s that vision you find in the enigmatic title of his latest album, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye, “and the quiet mystery in the lyric of that song: “There’s a place between somewhere and goodbye …. it’s only seen with the unseen eye.” And then: “You take nothing more from this life than you take from a dream.” Combine that with the fluid intensity of his almost otherworldly acoustic picking, and you have music that’s poignant and passionate, whether it’s filled with personal mysteries or sharply tuned humor.
MacLeod’s acoustic work alone provides a rich backup for his vocals — but for this album he’s added some musical heft with the Funky Chester Rhythm Section: Lynn Williams on drums, Mark T. Jordan on piano, Wurlitzer electric piano and B3 organ, and Paul Ossola on bass, plus the vocal harmonies of The Shoals Sisters — Cindy Richardson Walker, Marie Tomlinson Lewey and Carla Russell. Producer Andreas Werner adds rhythm guitar.
The opening song here is “Memphis In Your Soul,” about the city — and the river — that has apparently captured MacLeod’s soul since he moved there in 2019: “Go to the river and watch it flow … Then no matter where your life will take you, you’ll have some Memphis in your soul.”
That lyricism continues to flow throughout, whether it’s the moody title track, the hopeful “Keep On Walkin’ On,” the down-home flavored, downhearted ”Hard Times,” or the latest version of “Roll Like A River (2025),” with its melodic insistence: “I’m gonna’ roll like the river ’til I’m gone.” The Shoals Sisters backup adds considerably to its eloquence. “I Ain’t No Stranger” takes an ethereal journey: “I know this road will lead me to my soul … I’ve been a witness to the unseen light.”
Delicious shots of wry lubricate the biblical wordplay of “One Rib Short” (Adam and Eve and all those begats) and the whimsical marital warning of “I Don’t Like Your Chances.” The mystical journey continues with the visions of “The Seen And The Unseen,” and the need to let go in “Even Angels Get Too Sad To Fly.” The closer is, fittingly, a quiet gem of haunting memories, “Watching The Sun Go Down.”
Let’s hope the sun is nowhere near setting on Doug MacLeod’s talent that produces this kind of elegant, eloquent music.
Here’s a great interview with Doug by Michael Limnios on the Music Network from July 11, 2025.
And another very thoughtful interview, with Dominic Hartley of Fanfare, in which Doug waxes thoughtfully about his music and some of the inspiration for this album.
Here’s the title song from the album:
Tracklist:
01. Memphis In Your Soul
02. Between Somewhere And Goodbye
03. Keep On Walking On
04. Hard Times
05. Roll Like A River 2025
06. I Ain’t No Stranger
07. One Rib Short
08. The Seen And The Unseen
09. Even Angels Get Too Sad To Fly
10. I Don’t Like Your Chances
11. Watching The Sun Go Down
Blues Roadhouse 