Ryan Dart – If Love Don’t Break You
This Colorado artist, raised in rural Arkansas, possesses a warm, distinctive voice & ignites with the opening title number “If Love Don’t Break You.” Ryan has a light touch with his music. Poignancy & sincerity are key factors. If Ryan were an artistic painter, he wouldn’t give you his painting unless he framed it first. It must have the right frame.
Several songs have instinctively good words. Deep stuff. The words aren’t simplistic, not exactly country, or folk entirely. His Americana-roots music would be compared more accurately with The Band’s writing rather than Willie Nelson’s. He has a wonderfully rural storytelling style that borrows its cleverness from a life lived & allows the music to wallow in that theme. He comes close to George Strait’s two “Heartland” tunes from “Pure Country.”
14 soulful Colorado mountain melodies mesh with Arkansas roots & in each vocal dominate this showcase. These aren’t simply songs sung – they’re narratives of a person’s life, wisdom acquired & being broken down like plants in a forest fire that push through the ash again slowly — to make their way back up to the sun. That’s what I found in If Love Don’t Break You (Independent/Drops May 1/58:15), produced by John McVey (guitar/piano/bass/loops).
“Wranglers & Rock & Roll” has good backup vocals, steady supporting rhythm & Ryan (vocals/acoustic guitar/harmonica) sings with alchemy. It’s a deeply personal collection that explores the typical subjects of songwriters but doesn’t approach it singularly – love, loss, resilience, time & healing. The subjects are divorce, being a single father, losing a farm & falling in love again. Ryan sings about those heavy loads that push down on a man’s mental muscle & conscience.
“Freedom ain’t no luxury,” is a line in “These Horses.” Carefully outlining a poetic message that applies to his dilemmas, efforts, & responsibilities. Strong messages rather than just country hokum with big hats, pick-up trucks, beer guzzling & arm wrestling. You have to respect that. Ryan doesn’t swim in the safe depths; he goes for the deeper end. There are basic tracks that slip under the mainstream wire & are fairly more commercial than the root tunes that are the glue. Yet, Ryan resets with the high plains breeze of “Hard To Let Go” & the imaginative “Which Bridge To Burn,” both beautifully performed.
One of the year’s best.
Highlights – “If Love Don’t Break You,” “Dirt Road Woman,” “Dancing On Your Porch,” “Wranglers & Rock & Roll,” “These Horses,” “Hard To Let Go,” “Which Bridge To Burn,” & “This Is How It Ends.”
Musicians – Peyton Langford (bass/vocals), Katie Mintle (vocals), Eric Swanson (pedal steel), Nate Barnes (drums), Jonathan Day (drums/vocals), Darren Garvey (percussion), Richard Bowden, Bridget Law, Olivia Shaw & Natalie Padilla (fiddles), Charlie Rose (mandolin/banjo), Eric Moon (keys/accordion), Sean Gudirian (B3), Greg McRae & Taylor Marvin (guitars).
Color image courtesy of Lisa Sicilliano. CD @ https://www.ryandartmusic.com/
Song Premiere: Song Premiere: Ryan Dart “Dancing On Your Porch”