The song 'Undone' is incredible. His voice gives me chills; you can hear the pain in
his words and tone. This isn't some "emo" affectation designed by a record label to
market to the legions of dispossessed youth hanging out at Hot Topic. This is real.
I love how there is an extended pause between the plaintitive starkness of the
verses before the drums kick in for the chorus. I got the same feeling upon hearing
this that I did the first time I heard 'Heart Shaped Box' by Nirvana. Phenomenal.
- Sol Leistner, Music Director, CBS, Manhattan, NY
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.
-Belgian music publication "Rootstime"
"Davis's captivating sound and distinctive voice ranges from soft melody to intense raw emotion, providing
a riveting live performance experience."
- Walter DeLaRosa, SFA University Film Dept.
"All my life I have been around gospel and blues music, and I have never heard that song played so well.
This guy is a guitar virtuoso."
- Phillip Calloway, Sound Engineer, Texas Blueberry Festival
on Davis's cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads"
"Filled with raw emotion, which is obvious from the first listen."
- Marie Leonard, Managing Editor, The Pine Log, Nacogdoches, TX
Nowadays, when the summer temperature is pleasant and you're looking for an
appropriate soundtrack to go with it, your first thought would not be Ryan Davis. This
singer/songwriter/guitar player, perhaps better described as melancholic person, is
marketing his debut album "Soul's Tide". This record leans toward the sounds of
Robert Johnson, Dave Matthews and the Allman Brothers. Intense and reflective, it
is well suited for a slowly approaching evening when the kindling in the fireplace
lights up. There is a good chance that especially the calm reflective songs may bring
a lump to your throat. The typical slightly hoarse and whispering voice of Ryan Davis grabs you by the
throat. A good example of that is the intense and moving song "Blue Clouds". But there is more than just
calm music. The title track and songs "Engines Running" and "Rescue Me" have a much faster rhythm. As
a result, there is no shortage of variety on this record. Ryan Davis' strong suit is his intense performance.
When he plays the calmer, more melancholic songs, such as "Fallen", he comes close to a Matthews-like
performance. However, we prefer Davis to tear up his guitar with a song like "Do Her Wrong" or to bounce
through the studio like a maniac while playing the title track "Soul's Tide", a song with an appropriate title.
Before you realize it, his songs, which are a mix of roots, rock and blues, have passed you by. Fortunately
Davis touches the hearts of his listeners with his melancholic and tastefully arranged songs. He buries
his whispering voice into his music, which is loaded with ideas, sounds and different melodies. On warm
summer evenings, be ready to be moved by this renowned songwriter.
- Freddy Celis, president of the Belgian music organization ROOTSTIME
his words and tone. This isn't some "emo" affectation designed by a record label to
market to the legions of dispossessed youth hanging out at Hot Topic. This is real.
I love how there is an extended pause between the plaintitive starkness of the
verses before the drums kick in for the chorus. I got the same feeling upon hearing
this that I did the first time I heard 'Heart Shaped Box' by Nirvana. Phenomenal.
- Sol Leistner, Music Director, CBS, Manhattan, NY
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.
-Belgian music publication "Rootstime"
"Davis's captivating sound and distinctive voice ranges from soft melody to intense raw emotion, providing
a riveting live performance experience."
- Walter DeLaRosa, SFA University Film Dept.
"All my life I have been around gospel and blues music, and I have never heard that song played so well.
This guy is a guitar virtuoso."
- Phillip Calloway, Sound Engineer, Texas Blueberry Festival
on Davis's cover of Robert Johnson's "Crossroads"
"Filled with raw emotion, which is obvious from the first listen."
- Marie Leonard, Managing Editor, The Pine Log, Nacogdoches, TX
Nowadays, when the summer temperature is pleasant and you're looking for an
appropriate soundtrack to go with it, your first thought would not be Ryan Davis. This
singer/songwriter/guitar player, perhaps better described as melancholic person, is
marketing his debut album "Soul's Tide". This record leans toward the sounds of
Robert Johnson, Dave Matthews and the Allman Brothers. Intense and reflective, it
is well suited for a slowly approaching evening when the kindling in the fireplace
lights up. There is a good chance that especially the calm reflective songs may bring
a lump to your throat. The typical slightly hoarse and whispering voice of Ryan Davis grabs you by the
throat. A good example of that is the intense and moving song "Blue Clouds". But there is more than just
calm music. The title track and songs "Engines Running" and "Rescue Me" have a much faster rhythm. As
a result, there is no shortage of variety on this record. Ryan Davis' strong suit is his intense performance.
When he plays the calmer, more melancholic songs, such as "Fallen", he comes close to a Matthews-like
performance. However, we prefer Davis to tear up his guitar with a song like "Do Her Wrong" or to bounce
through the studio like a maniac while playing the title track "Soul's Tide", a song with an appropriate title.
Before you realize it, his songs, which are a mix of roots, rock and blues, have passed you by. Fortunately
Davis touches the hearts of his listeners with his melancholic and tastefully arranged songs. He buries
his whispering voice into his music, which is loaded with ideas, sounds and different melodies. On warm
summer evenings, be ready to be moved by this renowned songwriter.
- Freddy Celis, president of the Belgian music organization ROOTSTIME
