Austin, Texas - a green, freethinking southern mesh and marvel complete with it's own regional artist culture - the tiny blue dot in the midst of the big red state - the live music capital of the world - host of the well known Austin City Limits Music Festival, South by South West, and Fun Fun Fun Fest - home of Matthew McConnaghey, Sandra Bullock, Willie Nelson, Robert Rodriguez, Andy Roddick, and David Ramirez. Although David's name may not be household just yet, it's definitely poised to soon be lighting up a marquee near you. Smooth, soulful, folk-laden compositions that make even the most critical and cynical of listeners crave an aged oak rocking chair and vanilla pipe tabacco make up David's 2009 release - "American Soil". The album's doleful content can best be catergorized as an intimate journey through a artful American soul - a journey wrought with new life, lessons, and love lost.
David's journey began a relatively short time ago in Houston, Texas where he joined up with a few artist friends aiming to satisfy a common musical itch. His continued education brought him to the Dallas/Forth Worth metroplex; a new city filled with new people and new opportunities. As a full time college student, David Ramirez and band would release three records, "11503 Lansbury" (2003), "Human" (2005), and "While Underneath Lights" (2007), all of which received positive attention from the metropolitan music and arts scene.
After a relatively long and successful run as one of Dallas' more mature and overtly directional acts, the band parted ways in 2007 leaving David to pursue music as a solo artist. With heavy questions of life, meaning, and artful progression weighing heavily on his mind, David left his home in Texas and traveled north to Nashville. Intentions were to genuinely delve into said questions while also dabbling in the pensive and veritable medium of Folk music; an honest art form in which he had always been drawn to as a writer and performer. Intense personal soul searching would soon cause David to "quit his job, sell his belongings, and set out across America" (facebook.com/DavidRamirez) with a sincere desire to truly experience and discover for himself just what this nation has to offer by the way of nature, influence, and culture.
For the good part of six months David would play subject to a constant state of physical and mental locomotion. Early on in his travels David stopped off for a brief time in Birmingham, Alabama where he recorded an acoustic album "affectionately titled" "Birmingham: An Acoustic EP". Little did anyone know that the short but concise 5 track EP would play preview to David's soon to be soulful masterwork, "American Soil".
In 2009 David returned to Music City U.S.A. to track the tunes that make up "American Soil". Teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and producer Cason Cooley (The Normals, Derek Webb), David spent a grueling week recording and polishing the new record at, engineer and session player, Paul Moak (Mat Kearney, Third Day, Martha Wainwright)'s 3,000 square foot Nashville studio, The Smoakstack. The product was an honest amalgemation of Folk, Rhythm & Blues, and Southern Alternative entitled "American Soil" that currently serves as the primary makeup of David's touring set list.
"American Soil" consists of eleven rootish tracks resounding with deep insightful, personal inward exploration and sincere storytelling that can quite literally be deemed Americana.
After giving the album a good listen through, track number five, "Good To Be Bad", immediately stands out, and although I'll be reviewing songs earlier in the track listing, I felt compelled to begin with this darker, bluesy piece that sub-musically screams, "ATTITUDE". "Good To Be Bad" opens with a catchy overdriven phrase that becomes even more prevalent later in the composition, and serves as a strong tonal anchor throughout. The track is littered with complemental backing organs, brought home by a temperamental guitar solo, and made complete with David's moody southern crooning; overall the most broodingly robust tune with radio single potential.
"American Soil" consists of eleven rootish tracks resounding with deep insightful, personal inward exploration and sincere storytelling that can quite literally be deemed Americana.
After giving the album a good listen through, track number five, "Good To Be Bad", immediately stands out, and although I'll be reviewing songs earlier in the track listing, I felt compelled to begin with this darker, bluesy piece that sub-musically screams, "ATTITUDE". "Good To Be Bad" opens with a catchy overdriven phrase that becomes even more prevalent later in the composition, and serves as a strong tonal anchor throughout. The track is littered with complemental backing organs, brought home by a temperamental guitar solo, and made complete with David's moody southern crooning; overall the most broodingly robust tune with radio single potential.
"Arithmetic" is by far one the album's most doleful and contemplative tunes. Although the lyrical subject matter is somewhat bereft, a fairly upbeat tempo keeps one's feet a-tap throughout. Though the song is, for the most part, acoustically driven, a repeated instrumental and slightly overdriven riff serves as a glue that stitches verse and chorus together quite seamlessly. An extended emotionally charged guitar solo toward the latter half brings the song to an entirely new plane of field, screaming it's way into already attentive ears, and giving the traditionally tragic amorous composition a stiff shot of adrenaline.
"Carry Me Like The Wind" is the album's true opening track lyrically ripe with David's real life personal experience as a genuine traveler and connoisseur of the American dream and spirit. "Carry Me Like The Wind" is one of the most poetic of David's compositions. Piano driven, ambient in nature, and truly "windy", the spirit of this song resounds throughout the album's entirety, and gives the listener a real and unobstructed view of a musical traveler's soul.
"Carry Me Like The Wind" is the album's true opening track lyrically ripe with David's real life personal experience as a genuine traveler and connoisseur of the American dream and spirit. "Carry Me Like The Wind" is one of the most poetic of David's compositions. Piano driven, ambient in nature, and truly "windy", the spirit of this song resounds throughout the album's entirety, and gives the listener a real and unobstructed view of a musical traveler's soul.
"Mother's And Fathers" is delightfully country in nature featuring the strained tones of a weepy steel guitar and a twangy complementary banjo prevalent throughout. This tune is contemplative, scenic, and wistful; lyrically poetical and story-like. Southern listeners will have this catchy composition stuck in their heads for hours after, and likewise find their spirits reacquainted with their rural American roots.
This album is best listened to in it's entirety. Each tune serves as a building block; a puzzle piece to a symphonic puzzle that cannot be truly appreciated having not been viewed upon completion.
"American Soil" sits comfortably and suitably placed on my shelf somewhere between Damien Rice's "O' and John Mayer's "Continuum". If you're a fan of thoughtful lyrics and soulfully folkish musical stylings, this record is a must have for any lover of Southern bred alternative.
"American Soil" sits comfortably and suitably placed on my shelf somewhere between Damien Rice's "O' and John Mayer's "Continuum". If you're a fan of thoughtful lyrics and soulfully folkish musical stylings, this record is a must have for any lover of Southern bred alternative.
Be sure to check out David on facebook, myspace, and keep wary ears and eyes attuned for your next chance to catch one of his engaging and intimate live performances.
"American Soil" now available on iTunes.
www.DavidRamirezMusic.com
Connect with David on Facebook
Cheers,
Bo Michael King
"American Soil" now available on iTunes.
www.DavidRamirezMusic.com
Connect with David on Facebook
Cheers,
Bo Michael King
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