Shooting Star by John McDonough: Review

by Damien Reid October 12, 2022

October 12, 2022

Shooting Star by John McDonough: Review

John McDonough is a singer and composer who hails from Chicago, Illinois. His performances blend songs spanning six decades with fresh music that is both innovative and touching. The modern singer-songwriter sound that John creates is with his acoustic guitar skills, emotive vocals, and deeply personal lyrics. The song “Shooting Star” evokes a passionate tune, filled with rich acoustic guitar arrangements and fulfilling vocals.

The delicately plucked acoustic guitar sets the stage for john’s voice to join and take the lead. I love the fillers since they have a medieval feel to them. It’s reminiscent of a folk ballad that would have been sung by a bard in days gone by as the crowd gathered to listen to a story that every member of society should have been aware of. John’s guitar playing and singing have a timeless quality that brings to mind a master artist from another era; together, they create something genuinely amazing.

The song’s latter half has some light piano, which adds a beautiful, understated delicacy to the music. The acoustic guitar tone is fantastic; it’s really close to a regular tone, but it’s much clearer. The latter piano bits are quite lovely, and each one has its own distinctive tune that I find utterly enthralling. John’s songwriting and musicianship showcase the incredible power of music to tell a story. He has a remarkable ear for melody and a natural understanding of how to go from verse to chorus in a song.