Ryan McGarvey "Heavy Hearted" 2018 US Blues Rock
Ryan McGarvey was born on October 30, 1986 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At an early age, began to show interest in music, in particular to play the guitar. Like all children, Ryan copied his father Patrick when he played while listening to his performance. At the age of two years, Ryan received his first real acoustic guitar, the company Harmony Guitar. By about seven years old, interest in Ryan's music had intensified. He was well acquainted with the music on which he grew up listening to the parental collection of classic hard rock. Soon he is already trying to recreate the sounds he heard on the albums of artists such as: Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. After the work of these early bands, Ryan discovered completely new things for himself, drawing inspiration from artists like: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Chris Duarte, Ian Moore and Joe Bonamassa. Studying these masters helped Ryan develop a sound that would soon become his own. During high school years, Ryan's first group won the city's talent search competition, which allowed them to open their speeches in front of two Spanish-language sensations of world fame Sparx and Lorenzo Antonio. The concert took place in the open amphitheater of Sandia Casino, all the places in which were sold out, in front of a crowd of over 5,000 people. Ryan won the competition next year too. Since then, Ryan has performed at many prestigious venues and festivals in New Mexico, Texas and in the south of Colorado. He performed with many well-known blues musicians from the south-west, and also had the opportunity to jam with such Mississippi Delta Blues legends as Kenny Brown and Cedric Burnside at the Thirsty Ear festival. Opened concerts in front of people like: Phil Brown, John Hammond Jr., Buddy Guy, Joe Ely, Ozomatli, Reckless Kelly, Junior Brown, Tim Reynolds, Shannon Curfman, Shemekia Copeland, Blue Oyster Cult, Gov't Mule, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Bonamassa and many others. He was invited to perform along with his characters: Wes Jeans, Chris Duarte, and Ian Moore. In 2006, Guitar Center "Guitarmaggedon" named Ryan - "Next King Of The Blues" a candidate for New Mexico, and more recently, in 2007, he was nominated for the "Best Blues Act" as a result of a reader vote in The Weekly Alibi's . Ryan also received a 2007 New Mexico Music Award for Best Musical Production: Blues at home, in addition to being nominated for Best Musical Production: Mainstream / Rock. Having released the debut CD "Forward In Reverse", he performed throughout the southwest United States with the support of his band......~ Ryan McGarvey has made a name as a subtle blues-rock guitarist with an emotional lyrical pull. ‘Heavy Heated’ feel more of stab at the mainstream than his previous studio albums. Up to this point it was noticeable that there was always a significant gap between his studio albums. You’d like to think he was taking his time crafting his excellent albums, though the truth is he was probably busy touring relentlessly. 2018 makrs major departure in his release strategy For no sooner did we get his first live album ‘Live At Swinghouse’, before he’s popped up with a new studio album that eschews the ethereal melodies for a more straight ahead rock-blues style. Given his dynamic sensibilities it’s quite a change, but Ryan has the chops, intensity and band to pull it off, as evidenced by the blistering ‘Houston’. He tops and tails the album with a delicate acoustic touch and levers us straight into the road tested boogie ‘Feel Like I Do’, complete with a gritty toned solo that flows like a mighty river, with the B3 solo acting as a buttress. He is vocal captures the angst ridden feel of the song, even if as on the rip-roaring, but heartfelt ‘Broke My Heart’ he has a tendency to split vowels with his vocal phrasing, on an otherwise bristling album. Then there’s the booming stomp and fleet fingered guitar work of ‘Right Side Of The Dirt’, on which his riffs closely shadow his phrasing. He builds up a tension with a whispered hook leading to a jangling guitar break and bigger toned resolving solo, which is still remarkable for its lightness of touch. ‘Heavy Hearted’ is McGarvey’s 5th album in eleven years and it’s almost as if he’s finally taken off the gloves off and decided to go for it. This might explain the unreconstructed blues of ‘I Should Have Known Better’ on which he toughens up his tone and intensity on a number underpinned by stellar his pounding rhythm section of drummer Logan Nix and bassist Carmine Rojas, who provide an object lesson in always supporting the song. There’s a fluidity to Ryan’s playing that gives the album its punch. He rarely wastes a note, makes the most of the dynamics a song offers him and further colours his material with subtle tonal inflections. He’s at his best on the boogie instrumental ‘Houston’, which is built on a restless rhythm pattern as his guitar slashes its way through a frenzied instrumental with a stinging attack on a rockaboogie outing with slight fazing on his guitar A delicious exuberant avalanche of notes cast him in the role of guitar slinger, rather than his previous persona as a blues craftsman. Here, he’s stripped things back to the essence of a power trio on an incendiary track that illuminates the album. He’s altogether more restrained on the acoustic slide of ‘Six Feet In The Ground’, to remind us that in between the pounding notes he’s also a delicate player with real poise. He thoughtfully juxtaposes the above track with another album highlight, the extended ‘Ain’t Enough Whisky’, on which he attacks a big sounding slow blues with real intensity and verve. He chooses his notes carefully and lets them float and fill the track before they gently fade, only for his emotive solo to rise as he adds a rainbow of tonal textures, on the closest he comes to the style with which he originally made his name. Hell, anybody who can convince the listener of the veracity of his feelings through a recycled whisky metaphor has really got something going for them. Up to this point, Ryan’s has enjoyed a slow build career trajectory. He’s never been in an apparent rush and each album has shown us something new. ‘Heavy Hearted’ eschews that slow build with a batch of songs that celebrate both his guitar playing prowess and the band as a whole. It’s almost as if he’s channelled the best part of a decade’s worth of touring into a ‘live in the studio’ project that captures every nuance of a top road tested band. He offers one more final example of tonal contrast on the sludgy ‘A Walk In The Rain’ and the bubbling psychedelic drone of ‘Surrender’, before his eloquent musical journey breaches its destination on the acoustic and aptly titled ‘Conclusion’. Ryan McGarvey may be ‘Heavy Hearted’ but his guitar playing suggests otherwise......Review by Pete Feenstra....~ This album has been a long time coming. Wanting to deliver a more straight ahead blues based album, Ryan McGarvey was joined in the studio by legendary bassist Carmine Rojas (David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Joe Bonamassa, etc) drummer Logan Miles Nix (John 5), and ace keys player Brant Leeper (Coco Montoya, WC Clark, etc) to give what was to become a collection of "Heavy Hearted" all original songs. Still incorporating influences of modern rock, and more- This blues based album comes across almost as a front to finish representation of how the many shades, and styles of the blues has always influenced Ryan's music, and songwriting. Longtime favorites such as "Ain't Enough Whiskey", "Houston", and "Who Would've Thought" present themselves as strongly built songs that have long been requested by fans worldwide. Where as brand new songs such as "Right Side Of The Dirt", and "A Walk In The Rain" have already been proven to be new fan favorites! This album truly showcases the versatility of McGarvey's musicianship. From the guitar playing, to the matured vocals, to the overall songwriting. This is definitely an album that has been a long time coming, but been well worth the wait!....~ Next generation blues-rock sensation Ryan McGarvey is back with his fifth album, Heavy Hearted, set for release on November 27th 2018. It is the follow up to his successful Live at the Swinghouse (2018). A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ryan McGarvey is a rising guitarist, singer-songwriter who began earning recognition and accolades early in his career. In 2010, Eric Clapton selected McGarvey to perform at his Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago, and his lengthy list of awards include: Best New Talent – Guitar Player Magazine, 2013; Best Guitarist – European Blues Awards, 2014; Best Guitarist – European Blues Awards, 2016; Best Solo/Acoustic – European Blues Awards, 2017 and many more. Heavy Hearted features McGarvey living up to the hype. He’s joined by veteran bassist Carmine Rojas (David Bowie, Joe Bonamassa), keyboardist Brant Leeper (Coco Montoya) and drummer Logan Miles Nix (John 5 and the Creatures). The album artfully begins and ends with two short acoustic slide pieces. “Prelude” has the gentle warmth of a sunrise; “Conclusion” sounds like a soulful last sigh. What we hear in between is a fiercely energetic collection of songs with killer guitar chops and vocals from McGarvey. “Feelin’ Like I Do” jumps off with McGarvey tearing through the blues-rock intro, enticing the keys and finally the rhythm section into a dramatic, dynamic swell. McGarvey’s vocals sound as fresh and powerful as his guitar licks, with Leeper’s keyboard solo rooting this song firmly in the blues. The country/blues-rocker “Right Side of the Dirt” has the blues-man’s perspective of seeing the best of a bad situation. The clever chorus reminds us that, “I might be broken but it could be worse / At least I’m standin’ on the right side of the dirt.” The extended riff that McGarvey inserts between those two lines is tasty and well executed, as is his solo. Rojas and Nix drive a bouncing pocket that will have you kicking up your boots. Starting with a burning guitar intro, McGarvey gives us a jaw-dropping performance on the Chicago blues-flavored “I Should Have Known Better.” It begins as a faithful juke-joint ‘done me wrong’ number that doubles down on the punch during the solo section. The keys, bass and drums respond to the ferocious flurry of notes from McGarvey, who walks the line between chaos and control. “Ain’t Enough Whiskey,” is another good example of McGarvey’s masterful blues guitar phrasing. While his tone still has bite, there’s slightly less fury and a touch more finesse on this track. The instrumental “Houston” is a fine addition to the guitar boogie genre. It’s inventive and enjoyable and will be sure to please during live performances. The acoustic guitar-driven “Six Feet in the Ground” is notable for McGarvey’s finger picking and slide work. He resists the opportunity to turn this into another electrified rocker following the intro and instead makes it a straight ahead, front porch foot-stomper. “A Walk in the Rain” is a slow, hard blues-rocker. Built on a likable, repetitive riff, it breathes naturally, allowing for relaxed, yet powerful performances all around. McGarvey’s vocals start at a whisper and end on a wail, as his lead guitar finds momentum during the solo and going into the fade out ending. Close to the end of the album comes the beautiful blues-rock ballad, “Who Would Have Thought.” Once again, McGarvey’s singing is sometimes gentle, as it is during the opening verses, “I was standing at the Pearly Gates / But I could not go inside.” At other times, he’s commanding, as he sings the chorus, “Who would have thought it, baby, after all this time? / It would be your love keeping me alive?” This is the last full band track on the album, and they attack this final take hard. Leeper’s lush piano lends the song a lovely elegance, as Rojas and Nix tastefully drive it home, led by McGarvey’s closing electric guitar attacks as it fades. Since first gaining recognition, Ryan McGarvey has been steadily climbing toward the top of the mountain of contemporary blues-rock talent. Heavy Hearted has put him that much closer to the peak.......By Dave Resto.....~ Tracklist 01 Prelude 02 Feelin’ Like I Do 03 Right Side Of The Dirt 04 I Shoulda Known Better 05 Break My Heart 06 Houston 07 Six Feet In The Ground 08 Ain’t Enough Whiskey 09 A Walk In The Rain 10 Surrender 11 Who Would’ve Thought 12 Conclusion
