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The Benjy Davis Project call Baton Rouge home, which stands
to reason why their songs sound like aural representations of the
city's countrified vistas and floral scented motes that fill its air.
The band's latest release Dust has a southern country puttering
reflective of James Otto, and the rustic heartland hues of
Cary Brothers. Produced by David Z (Jonny Lange,
Kenny Wayne Shepherd), Dust is sautéed in bar-room
folk and permeates fumes with a cozy heartland country whiff that
makes the songs relate to the masses on matters that affect them the
deepest.
Lead singer Benjy Davis resonates a sincerity in his vocals
that resembles Kings Of Leon's Caleb Followill as guitarist
Jonathan Lawhun radiates a countrified tone with a bluesy rock
flange in its hooks. Drummer Mic Capdevielle and bassist Matt
Rusnak mold the tracks into refined country-rock threads as violinist/mandolin
player Anthony Rushing ribs the tunes with a flowy lacing and
pianist Michael Galasso handkerchiefs the melodies with a folksy
bliss like Missy Higgins. Tracks like "Same Damn Book"
and "The Rain" howl with a rustic intonation reminiscent
of Kings Of Leon, while the sedate mood of "I Love You"
is ladled in succor-enriched chord progressions. The flames ignited
by Maggie Brown's vocal harmonies along "Graves"
drives shots of excitement into the track as the melody furls and
rambles like leaves being blown across a dirt road.
The music may have a common heartland country feel and a rustic
rock flange, but the lyrical content helps the songs stand more
boldly. The lyrics admit things that most people would rather hide
from themselves and from others like in "Same Damn Book."
Davis perceives, "That's why we're never on the same page,
baby / Never even in the same damn book / Two stories in the same
stage / Seem to go together but take another look because there's
about to be a character change and it's not looking good / We can't
be on the same page, baby / We ain't even in the same book."
Other lyrics make observations about the outside world like in "Whose
God?" when Davis reflects, "There's a beautiful baby girl
being born / Wrong place, wrong time / With a heart and a soul and
a family torn / At the drop of a borderline / There's a beautiful
baby girl / In a storm of missiles and land-mines / And I don't
know what to say / Oh, whose God would want it this way?"
The Benjy Davis Project cement their music in smooth country-rock
landscapes and rustic heartland mulch. No doubt a common denominator
with other artists from their hometown of Baton Rouge, but BDP's
specialty rests in their ability to write songs that are in touch
with reality, the good taken with the bad. Their songs come from
an honest place. The lyrics connect with people on a level that
folks can understand and appreciate, and the music gives country
rock a contemporary flare that let's folks know that BDP are a product
of a modern generation.
-Susan Frances
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