David Ramirez takes the crowd on a soulful and folksy ride as he performs tracks off his debut album American Soil and his latest EP Strangetown. Fans of folk, listen to this as soon as you get the chance.
The intensity and passion in his voice bring the concert to a whole new level. He's not just a guy who plays music. He's a guy who lives his music and makes it come to life. He will make you laugh and cry in one song.
This album grabs the listener's mind and will not let go even after it's over. It's in his bluesy vocal style that his emotions emerge. His somewhat raspy throat shows that he's been through a lot in his career.
This is the first album Ramirez has with a backing band, but it fits really well with his music. Josh Ritter comes to mind when this album is played and not just because of the folk music, but also because of the delivery of his songs to a live audience, especially with a backing band. Both artists know how to please an audience and the stage presence is incredible.
He opens his concert with his hit off American Soil titled "Carry Me Like The Wind. His overpowering vocals tower over his guitar picking and sets the mood for what is a memorable voyage into the mind of Ramirez. As he sings "We were born of dreamers/So a dreamer I'll remain even if I'm the only one," the floaty chords carry the song into the air.
He performs two new songs "God Bless" and "Goodbye" which are warmly received. They blend well with the rest of his repertoire. The uplifting guitar intro sets the tone in "Goodbye" which is his last song before the encore. "I ain't coming back for another goodbye" is echoed throughout the song, though ironically he does come back to play "Argue With Heaven." It is after this song that the crowd sings "Happy Birthday" to Ramirez and it's here when we find out how truly thankful the audience is for his music.
The energy behind some of his songs, especially "Wandering Man" gives enough power to supply light during a blackout. When Ramirez is energetic, it rubs off on the audience and that's hard to show through audio, but he does it well. "Wandering Man" shows the loner in Ramirez and how he's always on the road, but it's his life and he accepts that.
Between songs Ramirez interacts with the audience, often humoring them with questions like:"Is the music just as depressing with the band? 'Cause in my head I'm like, 'it's a happy song now.'" And this shows that while he writes some deep and often sad songs, he can still make a joke about it.
This album is not a concert, but rather a performance put on by David Ramirez and only talented, passionate musicians can pull off such a feat. If you're driving and you need an album that will make you think about your life and the journey it's taken or if you just like good folk music, then this is the one for you.
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: Carry Me Like The Wind, Strangetown, Wandering Man
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