Hughie Mac – Let’s Get Away
Few vocalists are capable of doing what Hughie Mac does with a classic song like “Let’s Get Away,” the latest single from his new album Hughie Mac Sings Some Great Songs, Pt. 3, and that’s precisely why he’s stealing a healthy share of the spotlight this spring.
“Let’s Get Away” sees Mac taking a groove-laden bassline out for a walk, and experimenting with the depth of his vocal without breaking stride with his illustrious backing band. The tempo isn’t complex, but it affords the melody a generous amount of space that Mac artfully colors with one textured verse after another, and though this is just a cover song, it has all of the hallmarks of an original piece of music.
One of the most challenging aspects of rerecording a track as legendary as this one lies in delivering its signature tonality without having to lean too heavily on the original’s shape and structure, but in this single, Hughie Mac not only makes the whole process look incredibly easy, but he in fact sets a new standard for his contemporaries and peers.
The instrumental prowess present in this track is as seductive and alluring as Mac’s execution of the vocal is, and that isn’t always the case with songs that are centered primarily on their lyrics. No member of the backing band fails to pull their weight, and in the grander scheme of things, even the subtle nuances in the percussion and the piano make pretty big contributions to the track as a whole.
Mac’s relaxed energy defines the entire mood of the song, and though his conservative attack of the verse has a lot in common with fellow crooner Frank Sinatra, I don’t get the impression that he’s trying to replicate Old Blue Eyes in this single at all.
For as much as he tends to wear his influences on his sleeve, Hughie Mac is a genuinely unique performer, and always puts a really interesting spin on whatever material he happens to be working with.
Hughie Mac Sings Some Great Songs, Pt. 3 is one of the most appealing pop records that I’ve listened to in the last couple of years, and this track is very representative of what listeners can expect to find in the whole of the album.
Hughie Mac’s brand of vocal pop will never truly go out of style, and neither will the potent talent that he brings to the studio with him in every one of the releases that he’s shared with us to date. I’m more than convinced that as long as this man continues to walk the earth, the soulful serenade that gave us the most important entries in the American Songbook ever will continue to thrive and influence a new generation of singers and songwriters.
No matter what your personal taste in music is, you’re not likely to find anyone with quite the charm nor the passion that this gentleman espouses in “Let’s Get Away” and the LP that it was cut from, and that’s no small statement by any means.
To find out more about Hughie Mac, check out his official website by clicking here. Give him a like on Facebook by clicking here & a follow on Twitter by clicking here.
