The Ghost of Michael Clark

There’s one thing you can count on when a recession hits: Folk music will rise, especially in the former Wild West. The allure of dusty guitars and songs begging to be sung with battered voices will always be a strong draw. For songwriters, the challenge is setting yourself apart from every other guy with a guitar. Unfortunately, Pueblo native The Ghost of Michael Clark fails to make such a distinction with his latest effort. It’s not that Bound to Break is bad; it’s just completely unremarkable. It’s obvious that Clark has considerable influence within his full-time gig, the Haunted Wind Chimes, but what the Chimes achieve — namely, crafting a big, bawdy folk-country sound — is simply absent from this solo endeavor. Clearly drawing its influence from artists like William Elliot Whitmore, Bound to Break, sadly, does not live up to its name.