Michael McDermott - Willow Springs (2016)

Michael McDermott burst onto the scene in his early 20's with his exceptional debut, 620 W. Surf, and subsequently found himself touted as Rock's ''Next Big Thing.'' Missteps and failures followed, and the collapse of an industry that once embraced him as its next sensation, are troubles and travails that either ruin a person completely or force a change of attitude and staunch determination to gather one's resolve to not only survive, but overcome. Michael McDermott vowed to do both. Ten albums in, it's resulted in Willow Springs, one of the most honest, daring, and defiant recordings of his career. Named for the small town where he now resides with his wife and young daughter, it reflects a certain introspection about his life and the situations he's encountered while realizing that ultimately, his fate resides in his own hands.