Artist:     Don McLean

Album:     Botanical Garden

Label:     BMG Records

Release Date:     3.23.2018

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If ever there was a song that simply grabbed the world with force, beauty and a sing-a-long quality that has seldom been rivaled, it must surely be Don McLean’s truly iconic, 1972 hit, “American Pie,” a track that still sounds new, refreshing and wonderful some XX years down the musical line. McLean’s epic journey didn’t end there, of course, as he followed it up with the tender, thoughtful ballad, “Vincent, (Starry, Starry Night.)” On this basis alone, McLean deserves the global accolades he has enjoyed, while he has always carried on recording in his usual melodic style with guitar at the core and a distinctive acoustic bent that, in reality, has often failed to capture that initial magic and mojo.

Now, returning to the studio after an eight-year absence, he has delivered a 13-track offering, Botanical Garden, that remains rooted in melodic beauty but that seems in ways to have no central theme save, perhaps, a genuinely wayward album that rips along fiercely with full studio backing and support, while featuring McLean’s continued vocal strength and vitality. Songs vary enormously with at times a glance back over the shoulder, touches of historical, youthful thought and full-on love-songs and balladry. His initial love of rock ‘n’roll echoes at times with an eclectic, electric touch and flourish. As a result, this album is tricky to define with its acoustic roots, traditional themes, rockabilly ringing and assured push.

For me, personally, this is an album that deserves support, with big-ballad orchestration slipping through at times but a central core of melodic, melting beauty always rippling through. And, McLean’s vocal delivery remains distinctively delightful. For those of a certain age, who recall the sheer wonder of “American Pie,” there may be few true sing-a-long opportunities here but give it a repeat run and you’re likely to be enchanted.

—Iain Patience