A Stirring Rock Musical for Turbulent Times: John Michael Hersey’s Democracy
John Michael Hersey's Democracy is his newest work, and it comes not only as a musical statement but also as a theatrical experience that can be felt in the depth, nuance, and tension of a stage production. The album is very faithful to its concept, locating the audience inside a bar somewhere in America on election night. So, the bar is a microcosm of the country's unease, resilience, and differing viewpoints. Hersey reflects the haggard national mood through this one hallowed chamber, letting each character reveal a tale fashioned by the economy of struggle, the loss of dreams, the recovery, and the tenuous hope. Right off the bat, this opus is a display of Hersey’s deftness of mixing bright musical narration with the crossing of musical genres.
The story unfolds as the bar's old singer, songwriter, the out, of, work actress, the artist grappling with addiction, the factory worker who's been laid off, and the recently released prisoner gather to watch election results on the big screen TV. Democracy turns into a description of the American condition. Hersey points to the anxieties and irritations that bring society to life, but above all, he emphasizes the common humanity that remains after the most divergent worldviews. Every single track sounds like a monologue delivered in melody, sincere, probing, and packed with life experience.
Hersey is not abandoning his style and genre fusion he has been perfecting for twenty albums. The album is mainly rock, but naturally, folk, blues, pop, and country elements are woven into the arrangements. To a degree, one might compare Hersey's guitar playing to Mark Knopfler's style; likewise, his piano segments have the expressive warmth of Elton John.
One reason that Democracy is very different from other albums is not only to do with the composition quality, but also the cohesiveness of its narrative. It is a work that necessitates being listened to in its entirety and not just sampling a few tracks. Hersey’s extensive experience as a musician, actor, author, educator, and longtime collaborator in the arts is evident in the album’s theatrical pacing and emotional clarity.
When the national division is mostly regarded as a source of entertainment, Hersey surprisingly presents something a lot more thoughtful: a rock musical that inspires empathy, reflection, and conversation. The artist has come up with a strikingly engaging and human, centered set of works that enact the usual political backdrop, thereby leaving the art long after the last chord silences.
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