VAL DAVIS, IMMORTAL

Val Davis, long a local entertain­ment fixture in bar-stool venues, has recently returned to the Upper Valley after a brief stint among the bright lights of Philadelphia. "Immortal" (www.valdavis.com), which his liner notes tell us took him 10 years to make, is a harvest of seeker songs: ruminations on truth, good and evil, and the nature of the human spirit (A wise man wants to rewrite the book, / And it’s thrown into the fool’s fire without a look).

It’s pretty solemn stuff (Sparks do fly and the black smoke boils as slag burns off onto the soil); most of the songs are in minor keys. Playing mul­tiple instruments on several of the tracks, Davis decries man’s inhuman­ity on Half Way Round the World and expresses the helpless guilt of the individual who feels powerless to act. Fade Your Heat expresses support for another troubled soul, a vow to stand by: I will fade your heat / I will not give way / I will fade your heat! There will be no harm.

We’ve all felt like this from time to time, and Davis articulates skillfully the slightly desperate musings of the troubled soul. The album’s one truly tender moment comes with The Call, in which that troubled soul calls up a former lover — just to talk, and to express gratitude for the good times.

-TOM HILL-

From Bliss Aquamarine
Birmingham, UK 01-21-2003

VAL DAVIS Immortal

Sophisticated melodic rock with folk and psych elements. Val Davis is a very talented songwriter and musician, he plays all the instruments on some of the tracks here. I'm wondering if Val has ever heard The Rabbit's Hat or any of the several other bands Tim Jones has been in, as certain songs here bear an uncanny resemblance to Jones' songwriting style. Just listen to Curse of the Fool for example, which could easily be a Rabbit's Hat song. This album, which has taken 10 years to record, is quite simply a superb collection of songs. The first four tracks especially are mindblowing! I'm keen to hear more from this artist - hopefully the next release won't take another 10 years to appear!

From Seven Days
(Burlington, VT) 11-27-2002

VAL DAVIS, IMMORTAL
(Self-released, CD)

Val Davis’ first album, Immortal, is made up of eight songs recorded over the last decade in Texas and Vermont. Acoustic and electric guitars and stacked harmonies create a pure folk-rock mood in an America/Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young vein, with a ’90s touch in the use of synths in the background. Despite various recording locations, the production is surprisingly consistent — the work has a unified sound. Davis plays all the instruments on the four newest tracks and gets a bit of help on the rest. He’s a strong singer; his smoky, smooth voice makes even the clunkiest lines sound deep and poetic. What really shines is Davis’ acoustic guitar playing, though he’s no slouch on any of the other instruments. The arrangements, too, are strong. “Immortal” is the standout track, but all these songs tend to tickle the ear. Eight pretty good songs that sound pretty great. Not bad for a first album.
-COLIN CLARY-

Val Davis folk-rock album looks to the past

Randolph singer-songwriter Val Davis’ new album, “Immortal,” is a gritty and heartfelt return to the folk-rock of the ’60s and ’70s. What this CD lacks in finesse, it makes up for with heart and soul.

The title song, “Immortal,” seems to sum up the album: “Now I wake to find that time and I are in a dead heat in this race. And, I’m not immortal, anymore.” Set to a driving rock rhythm, the lyrics are all about adulthood – from the heart of a ’60s rocker.

This message comes naturally in the charismatic “The Point,” another gritty old- style rock song. In this, and many others, Davis sings with his natural baritone, accompanying himself with a secure guitar. To this, he has dubbed himself in vocals and rhythms, and, for the most part, the result seems natural.

On several songs, though, Davis is joined by some fine instrumentalists. In “The Call,” perhaps the best song in the album both lyrically and musically, he is joined by Bradley Kopp on slide acoustic guitar. This love lament, is another adult one. It’s an understanding and positive take on a broken relationship.

Real rockin’ electric guitar, stylishly played by Mark Hallman (he is also dubbed in on bass and drums), is featured in the ballad, “Fade Your Heat,” seemingly about parenthood. Kopp and Hallman are both featured in the anti-war, “Half Way ‘Round the World.” This might be a paean to the war protest songs of the past, but its ideas are more sophisticated than most of this genre.

Davis is a good musician with an attractive voice and some solid heartfelt ideas. While this album breaks no new ground, it is an engaging look at popular music of the past, providing a window on that era for the younger set, and a pleasant reassurance to its own generation.

-Jim Lowe-
Times Argus Arts Editor