Chris McFarland

With a gritty immediacy and a been-there voice, this songwriter continues to grow in his craft. Beauty and Undertow is collection of songs about love, sadness, hope, and the process of letting go. Chris McFarland takes his style of simple storytelling and arcs it with infectious melody and approachable honesty. A perfect illustration of the power of song.

Chris McFarland's latest record, "Given", covers a vast musical landscape.

An aggressive, percussive, and capable acoustic rock album. "Given" expands beyond McFarland's bare-bones approach on his debut full-length, "As If To Lay To Rest", adding piano and strings, for a richer, more textural feel to his already dense delivery.

McFarland's trademark worn, in-your-face voice gives the songs their heart, while their soul comes alive through his rocker approach when he forceably plays his acoustic guitar …
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Initially available only at performances, this 3 song EP was the prelude to the full length released in 2004. here is a review from Now on Tour:

Review by:
Morley Seaver

While the sophomore release from Texas singer/songwriter Chris McFarland is only a three-track sampler, all indications are that this is a winner. The music is hard to classify. The artist calls it angry folk music. There is just guitar, (acoustic and/or electric) bass and …
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Gripping vocals, shredding lyrics, and a strangely optimistic melancholy are the meat and potatoes of Chris McFarland's sophomore effort, As If To Lay To Rest.

A percussive, acoustic rock album capable of leaving emo fans shaking, punkers with their jaws on the floor, housewives quivering, and alterna-kids feeling hip for a second or two, As If To Lay To Rest is as pure and emotional as it gets.

With thick layers of instrumentation fronted by …
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Austin, Texas singer-songwriter Chris McFarland's debut offering. "Distance for Departure" is a seven-song collection of pain, tragedy, hurt, and anguish, coupled with soul searching, pondering, and memories that still haunt. It is restless and gripping, a from-the-heart, off-the-cuff portral of life's sadder moments, and how one finds their way out.

To put it better, here is Delusions of Adequacy's review, by editor-in-chief Jeff Marsh:

Chris McFarland describes his style of music "angry folk." I like …
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