Before diving into this album review, let’s be clear about one thing: I am not a fan of country music or folk music. Sure, I like my Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, and Rascal Flatts, but when it comes to true folk or twangy country music, I’ve just never been a big fan. With that said, I really enjoyed the latest album by local singer-songwriter Davey O.
“The Long Way Home” is Davey’s fifth record. Over the last decade, Davey O. has steadily grown his fanbase with his winning lyrics and Americana sound. He’s also been recognized with several local music awards, including seven ASCAPlus Awards, the 2004 WNY People’s Choice Award and five nominations for the Buffalo Music Award. Davey’s toured all throughout the northeast and midwest and is currently playing shows throughout the region. Check his MySpace page for dates and other information.
The title track on “The Long Way Home” is easily my favorite song on the record. “No matter which way I go/It’s the long way home,” he says on the emotional track. Another standout is the album’s first tune, “You Won’t Believe.” On the track, Davey promises to sing a lost girl “a love song til you come around. You’re gonna smile, smile, smile like you won’t believe.” Other personal favorite tracks include “Niagara” and “The Ballad of Hurricane Elijah.”
For this record, Davey also gets a little help from two Buffalo Hall of Fame inductees, Geoff Perry and Joe Rozler, who contribute fiddle and keyboard to “Niagara” and “You Won’t Believe,” respectively. Overall, the songs on this record are pleasant to listen to and contain a lyrical depth not present on even some of the biggest artist’s records.
If I had one criticism for this talented musician, however, it’d be that a few tracks sound very similar to each other; therefore, they begin to run together and each isn’t memorable in their own right. Overall though, the album is very strong and I’d recommend it to any fan of Americana or folk music. Check Davey’s MySpace site for local playing dates and CD sales.