A Vivoscene Featured Article by Brian Miller

Dave Boyd hails from Gainesville, Georgia and is steeped in Robert Johnson, Delbert McClinton and a good deal of Americana as well as the blues-rock music of Southern stalwarts such as The Allman Brothers, Wet Willie and Little Feat. It’s been going on a year since he released his first CD, entitled Dave Boyd and The Shade Tree Smugglers, and frankly it hasn’t received the attention it deserves. His songs are first-rate, he’s got a cracking band behind him, and his feeling for the blues shines through every tune. But as Dave has said himself, “there’s a lot of unsung heroes in the blues”. So here’s the deal behind this review: Dave Boyd has real talent, and if you love the blues, you owe it to yourself to check out his music, go to one of many live concerts, and yes, cough up a few of your hard-earned dollars for a legal copy of his album. The record may lead you back to artists you’ve forgotten about, or you haven’t yet discovered, but one thing is for sure: you’re gonna keep listenin’ to Dave’s music…

Much of the album is posted up at the Dave Boyd Reverbnation site, but we’ve installed the widget below for your ready access. There’s a variety of music here, from blues to Americana to pop-flavorings, which emanates from the wide and deep musical waters that Dave regularly explores. So don’t be put off if you’re expecting the first tune to sound like traditional blues. It’s anything but, but it’s the right way to open this record. The song is called “Johnny Comes Home” and it’s a stunner: that was written about Vietnam, but it could be about Iraq or Afghanistan or any conflicted region. It was recorded live in the studio around 3 a.m. and depicts a lonesome, desperate realization that can be achieved only at that hour of the day.

Other key tracks: the sweet sound of “One More Time” that could well have been a lost classic from The Allman Brothers, the wry humour of “The Next Big Thing”, the delicious guitar work and ensemble playing in both “Woman You Got Troubles” and “Slow Georgia Rain”.

The album is a fine debut from a talented artist. The rest, readers, is up to you. Spread the word, get to his concerts, and buy the record. You’ll be glad you did.

Vivoscene rating 8.0

Watch: Dave Boyd and Album Promo