Dyer Davis is only in his early 20s, but, being the son of a musician, has enjoyed a good musical education. His formative years included the music of Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart among others. In 2021, producer Billy Chapin convinced Stephen Dees of WildRoots Records to record with the talented singer-songwriter. That was his welcome to the WildRoots family.
Dog Bites Back is Davis’s debut album and it shows the chops and the storytelling ability that made him noticeable to producers like Chapin. It also shows that he put his musical education to work in developing a style that spans a variety of genres.
The album opens with “Let Me Love You”, a rocker that shows he absorbed some of the Rod Stewart tunes he hears as a child. The song is driven by the guitar and the rock n roll piano, but also includes a funky bass line and a steady beat that sre sure to get you moving. On top of that, Davis’s vocals have a soulful rasp that has long been the signature of Rod Stewart.
From there, he moves into “Walk Away My Blues”. This is a slow-burning blues tune. Davis lays down a steady blues groove infused with a fair amount of rock n roll. The rock n roll isn’t just I n the volume of the distorted guitar, it’s also in the defiant spirit of the lyrics.
The album shows that Davis isn’t content to confine himself to one style. While a lot of the album is a fusion of rock, soul, and blues, you can hear some variation from one song to the next. “Water into Wine” is infused with blues, but feels a lot more like early 90s grunge both in sound and mood.
“Wind Is Gonna Change” is a real change from the rest of the album in that it is an acoustic blues song featuring a resonator guitar. This is the sort of song that wouldn’t sound out of place if you heard someone playing it on a front porch.
“Long Way to Go is another song that shows Davis’s range. Like some of the other songs on the album, it is a mixture of rock, soul, and blues. You can also hear a spiritual thread running through this song. In it, he sings verses about the suffering of Moses, Abraham, and Martin Luther King, Jr. In singing about all three figures, he points out that despite the continued struggles, we still have a long way to go as a society. It’s a good example of Davis’s ability to tell a story with a strong message.
Dog Bites Back by Dyer Davis is a strong debut that shows he is not afraid to do things his own way. He covers a variety of styles while singing songs filled with meaning. The album is available everywhere now. Order your copy here. http://dyerdavismusic.com
Dyer Davis – guitar, vocals
Stephen Dees – bass, tambourine, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion
Victor Wainwright – piano
Billy Dean – drums
Jacob Barone – bass
David Weatherspoon – drums
Billy Chapin – rhythm guitar, organ, slide guitar
Patricia Ann Dees – tenor sax, flute
Joe Young – trumpet
Stan Lynch – drums
Mark Earley – baritone sax
Walter Andrews – dobro
Dave Mikeal – piano
Doug Woolverton – trumpet
Mixed by Billy Chapin with Stephen Dees
Mastered by Bryan Bassett
Additional engineering – Stephen Dees and Patricia Ann Dees
Recorded at CMG Studios and WildRoot Farm Studio