By: Emily J Ramey

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Chuck Cannon has been successful in every way a songwriter aspires to be successful.  He has a beautiful wife and three lovely children, a home outside Nashville, countless hit songs, a couple of his own albums, the continual opportunity to tour as a performing songwriter, his own record label, Nashville Underground, a recent tenure as NSAI president, and an ongoing fervor for his life’s work, songwriting.

Chuck Cannon has a wizened, raspy quality to his voice, but it’s fused with a grace and profound insight that only a lifetime of soulful songwriting can inspire.  His lyrics are eloquent, sagacious, and universally relevant.  Cannon preserves his youth for his fingers, which accompany his growling vocals with lively dexterity and expert skill on a warm acoustic guitar.

The flawless transition between the first and second tracks - between the rich instrumental “Loose Change” and the smoky, expressive “Money Don’t Matter” - is easy and absorbing.  “Money” is upbeat, bluesy, and ragged, as dirty as money itself.  “Strange” is peppery and wild, Cannon’s way of letting loose.  “The Devil Is a Woman,” on the other hand, is a relaxed melody with a cunning refrain, chock full of crafty wordplay like, “She’ll drag you through hell and make you beg to come back.”  And “Outta This Town” and “Walkaway” are spellbinding ballads, both powerfully written and passionately sung.

Cannon’s magnetic personality is deeply infused in every lyric and every note, making Love and Money an album one can listen to again and again, and more importantly, interpret a new meaning or discover a new facet each time.

Emily J Ramey is a burgeoning young music writer, living and working in Nashville, TN. Her background includes journalism classes at New York University and a Music Business degree from Belmont University. Check out her blog at listenerextraordinaire.wordpress.com.