Mine is Bill Mallonee, whose painful story Nate Anderson tells beautifully in the latest issue of Christianity Today. When Paste Magazine came out with their list of the Top 100 singer-songwriters, I tore through the issue to see if Mallonee made it, and was gratified to see him (even if ranked at 65). But such recognition has been tragically lacking. If the world were put to rights in terms of lyrical artistry, Bill Mallonee would be fronting a band that played to packed arenas, and Chris Martin would be playing dusty bars.Â
Mallonee’s former band, Vigilantes of Love, made a record called “Audible Sigh” in 1999 that my wife and I have been not just playing, but talking about for nearly a decade. It’s that layered–poignant, heartbreaking, beautiful in every measure. A “Blood on the Tracks” filled with dark witness to good news.Â
We saw Mallonee play a drab Cambridge bar in 2002. He was the opening act for an overrated band (that shall remain nameless). Five or six of us stood at the edge of the stage during Mallonee’s entire set and let him lead us in a chorus of joyful heartache. Everyone else in the house congregated around the bar, waiting for him to finish. Mallonee sang his heart out right to us, we sang along, and he thanked us after each song. At the end of the night, he came back out with the overrated band and joined them in a gorgeous, lingering rendition of–what else?–“I Shall Be Released.” I’ve seen a lot of great shows, but that one touched me like few others have.Â
More Mallonee below, from a show in Somerville, Mass.Â
But tell us–what artist do you love that you wish others loved, too?Â
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