Big Sexy – River of Shame
When Gary Maccagnone and Alex Goroshko decided to form Big Sexy, they created something genuinely unusual: an American author-turned-musician working with a Ukrainian composer and producer. Their debut, “River of Shame”, is the sound of two very different musical minds finding common ground in storytelling and atmosphere.
The album feels like sitting in a dimly lit bar listening to someone recount their worst decisions. Maccagnone brings his writer’s eye for detail to songs that read like short stories. At the same time, Goroshko’s production gives each track a cinematic quality that draws you deeper into these small-town American dramas. It’s indie rock with real weight behind it.
“Burning” kicks things off with the kind of restless energy that runs through the whole record. You can hear Maccagnone wrestling with his characters’ demons while Goroshko builds sonic landscapes around them. The title track and “New Mexico Nights” work best when this partnership clicks—Maccagnone’s vocals feel lived-in rather than performed, and Goroshko knows exactly when to pull back and when to push forward.
“The Admiral’s Daughter” stands out as the album’s most complete statement. Here’s where their collaboration really pays off: a groove that owes as much to funk as it does to indie rock, supporting lyrics that cut deep without showing off. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to dig into the rest of their catalogue. “Daddy’s Girl” and “Samantha’s Song” mine similar territory, exploring family dysfunction with the kind of specificity that comes from someone who’s actually lived through it.
Not everything works perfectly. “Swallow the Pain” tries too hard to be profound and ends up feeling forced, while “The Disposable Man” closes the album on an oddly unresolved note. These aren’t bad songs, exactly, but they feel like the band is still figuring out their sound. Goroshko’s production is solid throughout, though it occasionally lacks the polish that might elevate good songs into great ones.
What makes “River of Shame” interesting isn’t perfection but personality. Maccagnone and Goroshko have created something that doesn’t sound quite like anything else—not quite Americana, not quite indie rock, but something that borrows from both without being limited by either. The Ukrainian influence in Goroshko’s arrangements gives these very American stories an unexpected perspective, like hearing familiar tales told by someone from the outside looking in.
This is clearly a debut album. You can hear the band working through ideas, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. But there’s enough character here to suggest Big Sexy has something worth saying and the skills to say it well. The best moments on “River of Shame” feel like discoveries—songs that reveal new details each time you hear them. For anyone interested in music that takes storytelling seriously, “River of Shame” offers a promising introduction to a partnership that could go interesting places. It’s not a perfect album, but it’s an honest one, and that counts for something. (7/10) (Independent)
