Kick It Down
Clay Tyson
The Borealis Recording Company Ltd.
2000
12 tracks
Trying to be someone you're not diminishes who you are. If you've not yet sorted out who you are or want to be, it's hard to avoid sometimes trying to be who you're not. Listening to the music of Clay Tyson, I get the feeling he may be in precisely that quandary. In a way, Tyson reminds me of Pat Boone, a country singer with a Bing Crosby voice who wanted to be Little Richard. At times, Tyson sounds like a folk singer who wants to be a pop idol. He seems to be feeling his way toward the artist he will become. Every song on this release is different, stopping just short of eclectic.
This ephemeral quality begins with the cover art for Kick It Down. The bright da-glo of the psychedelic packaging suggests perhaps Jefferson Airplane or The Grateful Dead. Instead, the music is quiet and mostly countrified, more middle-of-the road pop than acid-rock.
Tyson clearly is talented. There's not a bad song on this CD. While they sometimes lean toward the maudlin, Tyson's lyrics are tightly written and mostly avoid the pitfalls of cliche. His melodies have that same better than average quality. A capable singer backed by a solid band, Tyson raises these songs to a higher level.
Over all, Tyson's sound is more rock than folk and has a strong jazz/country flavour. Given time to age and mature, this brew is going to be powerful stuff. In the meantime, Tyson tends at times to sound a bit like Eddie Rabbit, Ian Moore, Bruce Cockburn, John Mellencamp, Georgie Fame, and even the Wallflowers, creating an image that is prismatic and hard to define.
Tyson may prove to be strongest as a singer of popular jazz. He seems most at ease with songs reminiscent of Georgie Fame, a British jazz singer who hit the rock charts with songs like "Yeh Yeh" and "Getaway" in the Sixties. Songs like "Ditch Digger" and "The Bug" have that same bright jazzy feel and may be the best songs on this release.
"Kick It Down" brings to mind Ian Moore or perhaps The Tragically Hip with its heavy jazz-rock rhythms and the apocalyptic feel of the lyrics. This too is a strong sound that Tyson could develop into something interesting.
The lazy guitar intro and quiet lyrics of "Stitch in Time" carry the listener straight through Eddy Rabbit's "Margaritaville" to another sultry paradise of Tyson's making. Another country song, "Running Over Me" also features that feel of a lazy Florida day.
Perhaps influenced by the very distinctive organ sound, "Inside the Frame" is in very much the same genre as The Wallflowers' popular songs. While featuring that same organ, "The Heart Is" has more of a Mellencamp feel with the folksy love story of the lyrics laid over a bouncy pop country track.
While lacking a certain unity, Kick It Down is still an impressive first solo project. Given his solid resume as a musician and the talent evident in this release, Clay Tyson's future releases should be at least as interesting. If Tyson can find his focus, they promise to be very special indeed.
Those who want to learn more about Clay Tyson and his music will find information at his website.
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