NEW JERSEY HERALD: Shannon McNally in Blairstown

BLAIRSTOWN -- Shannon McNally’s blues-Americana return, “Black Irish,” will make you dance, break your heart and save your soul. The album was recorded in Nashville, but its distinctive sense of place lies 210 miles west, where Memphis meets Mississippi.

The primary colors of American music are black and white, and “Black Irish” displays that hybrid in many shades, mixing country, blues, soul, rock, folk balladry and classic pop.

McNally will perform songs from her new album (out June 9) at Roy’s Hall, 30 Main St., Blairstown, on Wednesday, May 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20-$25. Visit royshall.org or call 908-362-1399.

“Black Irish” is McNally’s most personal project yet, which is saying a lot, given the Americana singer-songwriter’s deep catalog. But it speaks to the power of connection, and the power of music to create it and to reflect it. The kick-off track “You Made Me Feel For You,” was written by her producer, Rodney Crowell, and serves as a metaphor for their collaboration -- how his particular understanding of her unique gifts pulled out the career-defining album many have been waiting for since she came on the scene.