“You got a new tattoo of an old tattoo”… the opening line of “Free From the Guillotine” one of our favourite tracks of last year from one of its finest albums.
At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana – just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky – multi-instrumentalist, artist, and songwriter Ryan Davis’ Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms.
As the driving force for the lauded State Champion, a long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Ryan put out his first proper solo release with Dancing On The Edge – a rich, 2-LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive tracks. It’s a pure collage of modernity and heritage.
Besides the Kosmische-synth and violin stabs suggesting a European component to their sound, Hammond organ swells build a musical bridge between 1969 Southern California and late-period Felt. Music and mint juleps never went down so well together.
The music is country-tinged, melancholic, gentle, minimal yet colourful in mood: a lilting highway accompaniment of crisp instrumentation and a relaxed, amiable approach to vocals with rhapsodic wordsmithery.
For fans of Bill Callahan, Silver Jews, solo David Berman, Kurt Vile, and ‘Comes A Time’-era Neil.
“He’s someone with the originality, wit and ambition to cut through the murk... someone worth paying attention to”
“This is the sound of someone bearing a torch”
Doors 7pm / Music 8pm / Tickets £14
All seating/tables are first come first served.