Sean McConnell has just one tattoo — his wife's name. It represents a commitment, a sign that's more than skin-deep. But on the cover of the Nashville singer-songwriter's new album, SKIN, art and symbolism bloom like tattoo ink itself. An open palm beacons listeners, itself a symbol of his faith, while emblems of Earth and nature, faith and love serve as tangible and metaphorical guideposts along McConnell's renewed musical journey.

"SKIN, to me, is kind of where I'm at on my journey with being comfortable in your skin, in your physical body. Divinity is in flesh and bone, not just in heaven somewhere, someday," McConnell says. "Lyrically, the humanness of skin is obviously apparent, but I'm always attracted to this meeting of body and spirit, flesh and spirit."

As McConnell crossed the threshold of 40 years old, he began to mine the depths of his identify as an artist, father, husband, and human. As such, many of the songs on the 11-track LP seek to find a sense of grounding in the chaos and change. The beauty of SKIN, however, is that McConnell manages to explore life's paradoxes without needing to find answers. In fact, he hopes that the lyrics leave topics open ended for listeners to discover their own meanings.

The songs themselves, grounded in steady folk-rock practices and uplifted through purposeful piano lines and swelling strings, leave plenty of room for such external observation and internal introspection to shine. "Demolition Day," which chugs at a steady, rocking pace, is a reckoning song that stands out from the rest of the record — "a 'come to Jesus' moment, as some say here in the South," he says — that is as much about his understated sobriety as it is about other routines that need to be reassessed after 20 years in the music industry. Other songs, however, are as much for his loved ones, as himself. The sparse "Never Enough," is an ode to his wife and soulmate Dr. Mary Susan McConnell. "The West Was Never Won," the shortest, yet most affecting track on SKIN, encourages their daughter with disabilities, Abiella, to let her heart and her soul guide her through this life. It's a flickering faith that also guides songs like "Divinity" and "New Sons and Daughters."

Age Limit: All Ages

Time:
Doors 7:00pm
Showtime 8:00pm
Lobby 6:00pm

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