Michael Cockram

House of Stone is a very satisfying debut CD by Eugene singer songwriter Michael Cockram. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Cockram's talents on guitar, bass, mandolin, fiddle, and banjo all grace this album. Cockram is a superb finger-style guitarist, deft but never ostentatious. A self-produced effort, House of Stone amply demonstrates Cockram's agility with the intricacies of multitrack recording. But he also has the wise producer's instincts for when to let a strong composition reside within an uncrowded arrangement.

There's a welcoming quality to these songs because Cockram is able to convey human longings without succumbing to the self-absorbed negativity so prevalent in the offerings of many contemporary singer songwriters. A native Arkansan, Cockram's songs are infused with a Southern flair for good storytelling. He transports us back to childhood with the sprightly, lighthearted Welcome to My Backyard. That warmth and carefree spirit come through again in Aya's Song, written for his daughter. In songs like The Billboard Kid and Safety in Numbers, Cockram explores the illusory satisfactions of our modern preoccupation with materialism. In Wishing Well, Cockram confronts the heartache of unfulfilled early love without ever lapsing into self-indulgence. In the equally poignant Heart on the Wing, he writes of the artifacts of affection left at the grave of a dead girl by those who loved her.

I look forward to hearing more from this talented architect of fine songs.

Chip Kiger
Cascadia Music
- Cascadia Music