Release Date : June 13, 2025
Dyer
Davis’ debut album Dog Bites Back quickly
grabbed my attention when I reviewed it two years ago. It landed in my favorite
25 albums of 2023 list. Davis’ new album Kiss the Ring continues
to reel me in with his crafted lyrics, fierce guitar skills and soulful voice. This
Jacksonville, Florida artist certainty puts the ‘rock’ in blues-rock with
a Southern homegrown approach. With Davis on guitar and lead vocals, his
band is comprised of Warren Beck on keys/backing vocals, David
Weatherspoon on drums, and Will Weiner on bass guitar/backing
vocals.
The record throws down the gauntlet in a tight-as-hell blast of ferocity with “I Ain’t Lying”. It’s an amazing, adrenalin-fueled rocker with a riveting guitar performance, and a spectacular barrel-house keyboard accompaniment. The gentle sounds of banjo pull me in to “Around the Bend”. The song’s Crosby, Stills, and Nash-ish vibe lightens my mood, and brightens the day. A lack of decent choices plagues all of us at one time or another. “Damned” brilliantly brings that dire crossroads-feeling to song with an infectious late-Nineties alt-rock sound. “Brackish Water” keeps the jam going strong in a full-on Southern Rock delivery. With guest Sawyer Swihart providing an absolutely gorgeous performance on pedal steel guitar, “Have Mercy” washes over me in a stunning tide of empathy. “Enough is Enough” closes the album with in a special way as the song progresses from acoustic to full-on electric. In a Ben Folds fashion, Beck’s piano performance beautifully accompanies Weatherspoon’s and Weiner’s captivating rhythm.
I’m certainly hooked on Dyer Davis’ Kiss the Ring. It is an engaging listen from beginning to end.
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| Photo by Sequoya Iolani |
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| Joel Andrew Bell |
For more information about Dyer
Davis visit https://www.dyerdavismusic.com/
To read past PhillyCheeze
reviews covering Dyer Davis, follow this link : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=dyer+davis
Available on Bandcamp
