Drew Davies – Drew Davies (2020)
Hailing from South Yorkshire, Drew Davies comes from a long line of musicians. Over the last decade, he has worked in musical collaborations, written for other artists and poured himself into music. He has now produced and released his most personal work to date.
His self-titled album Drew Davies pulls on a wide array of influences from 50s rock and roll to electronica. While using these familiar references points, the album uses a timeless sound to hook you.
The first track ‘Man on the Run’ has a very David Bowie vibe to it. The song has a smooth sound that compliments Davies’ vocals perfectly. The lyrics draw you into a story and work with the fairly simple tone of the song.
‘Living the Dream’ has a different sound to the first track. There are more guitars to the track, but the change in tone highlights the versatility of Davies’ performance. The song is very catchy and the beat hooks you.
The tone changes again with ‘Beautiful World’. This track has a dreamier feel to the notes and the vocals are softer. There is an undertone of synths in the track that adds to the dreamy vibe. The track does pick up with more guitar in it while retaining original tone.
‘Lady Midnight’ has more rock in it than the other tracks. The lyrics of this song capture you with the tale of Lady Midnight. There is a darker tone to the track with deeper vocals from Davies and a different twist to the lyrics.
‘Come On Within’ wastes no time getting started with a stripped back opening. This track has an almost soft glam rock feel to it. The wailing guitars in the track add to this feeling while boosting the rather gentle vocal performance.
‘Mrs Taylor’ takes another turn in tone while telling a story. This track is a combination of different influences that strangely combine into a cohesive unit. This is an easy to listen to song that you could easily play while on a road trip.
The next track ‘X and Y’ has a pseudo-Tarantino vibe to it and would easily fit into one of his movies. There is a deep message hiding in the lyrics of this track looking at the hypocrisy of people calling for gender equality on one hand and saying something different behind closed doors. The combination of the tone of the track and the message make this one of my favourite songs on the album.
‘Torn Asunder’ carries a little of the tone from the last track, but has a bit more beat to it. This track also has a deeper message about betrayal hidden in the catchy melody. There is a dark tale painted in this song.
The next track ‘Can’t Deny’ has a slow opening with a more electronic vibe to it than the other tracks on the album. The song is slower than the others but continues the introspection into life. While the lyrics are not as dark as some others on the album, they are worth focusing on.
The last track of the album ‘Who We Are’ is a great ending to this album. It has a more hopeful vibe to it and leaves you feeling that things can be better. At the end of the song, you feel that you can take a chance and make a start.
The self-titled album from Drew Davies is an amalgamation of different genres showcasing his vocal and musical abilities. Each track has a message or story that looks into some aspect of life. While the messages are deep, the album leaves you feeling good and with a sense of hope.
Find out more about Drew Davies on his website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
