More than anything else, the best reason to hear Ryan Davis' new record is to be reminded that there is real musical diversity coming from independent East Texas songwriters.
With brooding lyrics and extremes of tempo and volume, the
emotionally-fraught songs are not intended for easy listening,
background, or driving music. The lead track, "Drown Again" starts slow and builds up slower, with a melancholy blues riff that repeats and multiplies and evolves into a gritty melody in counterpoint with an austere cello bass line.
And so it goes for the rest of the album. Stomp boards, electric cellos, mandolins and piano lines add complicated textures to an already moody soundscape. Each listen offers something new to notice and pay attention to.
One thing you can't help paying attention to is Davis's singing, which at times could pass for Kurt Cobain's wrenching wails and, at other times, hovers softly above a whisper. Davis exacts fine control over his raspyness and the precise pitches at which his vocals crack. His chameleonic vocals are a kind of barometer for the intensity of the music, indicating upcoming storms of intensity.
The 11 tracks follow each other in a carefully considered order, resisting the increasingly popular tendency to hear single tracks on customized playlists. The record boasts a brief cello-only interlude dividing the record into rough halves, whose semantic distinctions are best left for the listener to determine.
In short, the record sounds like little else you might hear. And even as the themes and motivations for his songs are universal (sadness, longing, boredom, restlessness), the images of Nacogdoches and Austin that pepper the album art suggest a local hue to colorize the sound.
Davis is a Nacogdoches-based artist who did most of the work on this moving album by himself, as the liner notes proudly exclaim. And for that, the locals ought to be proud themselves.
MATTHEW STOFF
The Daily Sentinel
Nacogdoches, TX
When I listen to “What I Cause” by Ryan Davis, somewhere near the interlude I tell myself I shouldn't be so prejudice. Let me explain in more detail. I do not like cello in modern music. In my opinion, cello is a classical instrument and there are beautiful classical pieces written for it. In a genre like roots rock, there is no use for cello. Still I have to admit that the Texas singer does very well to convince me otherwise.
The second prejudice that I need to eliminate is that anything related to Curt Cobain and/or Nirvana is weak residue. The raw nature of Ryan Davis' voice makes me think of Curt, but is never the less impressive. Without question Ryan has his own voice. The fact is that every once in a while there are also pieces of Dave Mathews that contribute to its quality. Can we really talk about roots music, the chief of grunge, and classical instruments all in the same breath? Just as on Ryan’s debut album (Soul’s Tide, 2007), the underlying current of “What I Cause” is still a melancholy mix of blues rock and roots. But it’s the alternative ingredients that make this album jump out. Take a look at “Undone” - It starts timid and somewhat bare, and eventually evolves into a musical wave that grabs the listener by the throat only to release him just in time. The unique voice of Davis and the dark, gloomy cello of Christopher Rains play a major role in this. At the same time, “With A Blade” proves that Davis can write an excellent blues song with stellar slide work.
“What I Cause” is a record with character which soothes as well as hits you. Although he may not use conventional instrumentation to convey his songs, Ryan Davis definitely understands the art of songwriting.
Just saw your comment. Love the pic of you 2. We just moved and are having some issues with getting internet in the middle of no where. Be back up soon. Call some time and we'll catch up.
I just took time to watch the video of you on Fox News. You look so different without your beard! But I know it's your voice! I hope you two are doing amazingly. Talk to you soon. Andy's been pulling 12 hour days at work, and I'm starting to get some over time. But ONE OF THESE DAYS, before it's too late, we will hang out again. Maybe by a bonfire with some cold beer, if that's your poision!
You kicked some ass last night at The Dirty Dog.. Im shamelessly promoting you and Stacey with the STATUS thing on my page. :) thanks for letting me know youd be playing.I cant wait til youre back for another show!
So glad Reign and I got to come up and see you play last night! I needed that! For me it was a show full of emotion and memories. I love it when I catch you playing outdoors, even though Junior's isn't technically outdoors.
I just close my eyes and feel the wind blow...
Reign obviously enjoyed your show as much as I did :-) Smiling, singing, jumping, and dancing. That was her first live show, well since being out of my tummy, lol!
