W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

New Threats From The Soul – Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band (Sophomore Lounge Records)

“New Threats From The Soul” starts off sounding like we’re about to get a yacht rock album but the title track quickly veers off into the C&W space one would have expected once Davis’ baritone vocals augmented by Christopher May’s tragically sad (and quite beautiful) pedal steel kicks in.  Davis’ writing style tends towards the long dreamscape variety with the album containing a mere 7 songs yet still clocking in at just under 60 minutes.   With that being said, one will immediately recognize a very obvious similarity between Davis & The Roadhouse Band and the late great David Berman and his work with both the Silver Jews as well as Purple Mountain.  All in all, New Threats is the perfect LP to spin on a cold winter’s night in front of a crackling fire while sipping on a glass of fine whiskey.