Search - Marcus Hummon :: Looking For The Child

Since scoring his first Number One with Wynona's take on the lovely and unpredictable "Only Love," Marcus Hummon has settled into the front ranks of Nashville songwriters. Ten of his songs have cracked the Top Ten for such artists as the Dixie Chicks and Tim McGraw, and he's secured two Grammy nominations. Meanwhile, quietly, Hummon has carved out a career as a recording artist, and his third release "Looking for the Child," marks the debut of his own Velvet Armadillo record label. It's a pure indy play, and as such, the record's warmth and abundance of spirit will make you root for Hummon's bid to win over a fan base via the internet, where old-fashioned word-of-mouth meets cutting edge technology. Friendly and eclectic, Hummon's record makes stops in the rollicking gospel of the opening track "Get Ye Up (Into the hills)," the Steely Dan-like crispness of "Mexican Trout," and the introspective balladry of the title track. You'll also hear a wry humor and worldliness that can only lurk below the surface of Hummon's radio cuts. In "French Quarter Re-Run" for example he notes that "I hear dancin' and laughin'/Somebody must have died." Fiddler Andrea Zonn, a major contributor throughout the record, is especially forward here, taking over in the chorus behind Hummon's sympathetic tenor where normally a guitar or piano would do the expected thing. As the title cut suggests, Hummon is no world-weary cynic. His songs all betray a joy and optimism fired by faith. You get the feeling he'd be an engaging companion on a long drive, as would this record.