Looks Like Rain

The first album in the American Trilogy (quadrilogy, if you count) and the best album out of them all.

The main point of attraction, other than his songwriting, is the use of ambiance. Throughout the entire album, you can faintly hear rain and thunderstorms outside while the melancholy prevails in Mickey’s voice. It’s a nice touch that leaves a lot of ambiguity and room for interpretation: on the surface, it’s a sign of melancholy, sadness, and grief, but on the other hand, a sign of growth, change, washing from previous filth and a start of a new chapter. The ethereal choir present at times also breathes in hope for the poor soul, even if the lyrics might not outwardly reflect that. In my opinion, without those factors, this album would not be as good as it is.

In terms of songwriting, don’t go in expecting some Dylan-esque poetry, but do expect some hard-cutting and home-hitting moments that brew a storm inside your heart like the one you hear on the album.