Larry Gallagher

If there is one word to sum up Larry Gallagher’s sophomore album, Can I Go Now?, it would have to be ‘simple.’ Don’t jump to any conclusions just yet though, because beneath the minimal exterior is the work of a sincere, honest musician. A glance at the album art will immediately show you that Gallagher is an individual. He is seen standing in a boat full of instruments, stranded on the beach looking rather confused. This cover accurately follows what I was felt before I started to listen because the song titles alone were random and rather obscure.
Gallagher is not one to take himself very seriously though, evident from the titles he chose for the songs off this album. Each song title accurately reflects exactly what he is about to sing about. The opening track, ‘TV is Your Friend,’ covers the concept that our society is weirdly obsessed with the television. He is mostly accurate given that those who lack friends can always look to a television for some sort of twisted companionship. Likewise in the song, ‘Try Not to Think About Bugs,’ Gallagher sings all about trying not to think about bugs. While there is a bigger message to all of his songs, on the surface each track becomes very predictable once you read the title is. After listening through this album one time, it really irritated me how obvious each track was in relation to the title because I couldn’t get over how uncomplicated his music seemed. Upon reading further into Gallagher’s background though, the combinations of instruments and song selection began to show through.
Tracks feature mainly the guitar and piano, and most contain variations of bass, organ, horns, and a Wurlitzer. If you are someone who really enjoys a heavy bass or drum beat in his or her music, this may not be the album for you. Larry Gallagher’s influence is California, or what I would coin ‘surfer rock,’ His sound is laid back and effortless, similar to the artist Mason Jennings. Choruses are repeated frequently and almost every track is around three minutes in length, give or take. According to his website, Gallagher has spent much of his life wandering between vocations, even joining a Buddhist Monastery at one point in his life. Can I Go Now?, definitely is evidence of this vagabond lifestyle due to each track’s ability to cover miscellaneous life topics in such a straightforward manner. From ‘Me and William Shakespeare,’ a song about what Gallagher might say to Shakespeare if he ever got the chance to drink a few beers with him; to ‘I’m Sorry for What My People Did to Your People,’ an honest attempt at remorse for what I see as a direct correlation to the genocide of Native Americans prior to and during the settlement of America. What was refreshing after listening for a while was that his songs were not all about women, or falling in love. There is a time and place for these kinds of ballads, including tracks five and ten, but it was nice to hear him not go over the top into this expected theme.
Running just around 45 minutes in length, Can I Go Now?, is straightforward, yet packs a lot of punch. Gallagher tackles tough subjects like existentialism in the track, ‘My God is Better than your God,’ and the tried and true concept that as generations go by, the youth only become more promiscuous as explained, ‘Horny Teen Sluts.’ By far the most entertaining song on this album is, ‘I’m Deep.’ In this song, Gallagher’s sarcasm bleeds through so transparently I couldn’t help but laugh throughout the whole song when I hear lyrics like, “No hope, no help, I’m free of wealth how can you control yourself? I’M DEEP!” The notion follows that a sure and easy way to get a female into bed is to profess your unique ability to tap into some place deep inside you. That somehow being, or having the appearance of being prophetic and worldly in your pursuit of pleasure will most always guarantee you success.
Larry Gallagher accomplishes what attempted in the beginning. Can I Go Now?, is an effortless block of music, demonstrating his ability to cover many complicated themes and messages with the use of humor and sarcasm. Many listeners may look deeper into the meanings of his songs, while others may be satisfied with the fun lyrics and simple guitar melodies dominating each track. In the end though, you are left with a feeling of satisfaction for gaining some insight into one of the more obscure artists you might every listen to.