An album that captures life’s nuances and relatable pursuits within a melodically affecting lo-fi folk/rock arsenal, Things Are A Little Bit… comes via Man With A Corduroy Heart. The project of UK-based singer/songwriter Ryan Davies first caught our ears in October with album track “The Wailers” — an endearing success about trying to lull a baby to sleep with Bob Marley — and the riveting sound continues throughout the album’s other efforts.
Opening the album, “The Joy of Giving Up” muses on the temptations of giving into blissful contentment. “Having goals never seemed that smart,” the vocals admit, ascending into a hooky throwback guitar-pop appeal as a hypnotic multi-layered vocal questioning immerses. Another highlight in a comparable thematic vein, “Doing Nothing” weaves tender guitar tones alongside admissions of one’s ideal night — where watching TV with one’s loved ones can wholly defeat the clichéd prospect of traveling to Paris. “There’s nothing else that I would rather do,” the lush vocals admit, placing great value on a cold grey afternoon where “doing nothing is better with you.”
“Little One” is along the lines of “The Wailers” in capturing the sweetness of parenting, with “Little One” also depicting a crying baby and how “a volcano erupts,” in more ways than one. “He cries when he’s hungry, he cries when he’s full,” Davies sings sweetly amidst gentle guitars. “I feel I could cry, but then the little one smiles,” he continues, capturing the tumultuous yet beautiful experience of parenthood; the album is full of heartfelt songwriting, depicting the daily grind, troublesome bosses, and life’s most precious moments within a myriad of successful songs.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup, as part of the artist’s promotional campaign.
