Richard Alexander Davis - Lovin' You Direct - 2009 - Lovetown Records

You may recall I reviewed The self-titled set from Richard Alexander Davis a few months ago and I loved the album, remarking that I would love to see this man record more in the way of new, original material. Well, here he is doing just that and showing that this UK Soul Brother from Bath can really cut the mustard and knock the US market into a cocked hat with a set of extremely soulful ballads and steppers. The album is rooted in today's quality music scene yet displays much that does not sever ties with the past. The use of warm Fender Rhodes-type keyboards and the mere presence of laying, structure and - steps back in amazement! - melody mark him apart from the moronic RnB superstars of today. Richard Alexander Davis is the real deal and I for one are proud that a fellow Englishman is flying the flag for real Soul music! Every single track is a winner. OK, OK, there are but 9 songs but hey - better 9 crackers that 16 songs and mostly fillers to boot. From the offset we are given no room to breath as the boogie tune takes us away! "High From Your Lovin'" sparkles, it really does, and the tendency to use warm rhythms, keyboards and freaky synths and guitars is something I am definitely happy with.

The positivity in a relationship is cherished and lauded in the catchy "Celebrate", and the SUPERB "Back In Love" with it's Randy Bowland styled guitar and lead piano and keys are seriously 80s PIR and this track is so soulful it hurts! Yes, songs and albums like this really excite me and here we are only into track 3! Please, please, please check out this song. Amazing. A wicked bassline and guitar performance pervades "I Really Want You Now" and the title song, "Lovin' You Direct" puts the tendency to take relationships into the cyber world - email, texting etc - back where it should be: on a back burner! A theme voiced by Prince a few years ago and seconded here most ably. I really want to give serious word to the final two tracks as these really do leave a great impression on me. "Realise" is absolutely wonderful. The warm 80s keys are straight out of the days of Twennynine and THAT wonderful 1979 - 1982 era. Oh, this is sheer soul heaven!!! Finally we have the AWESOME "Come Over" which closes the CD is such a sexy, stylish manner...Producer Tim Jones adds some real Philly guitar licks and the loose rhythm and Dexter Wansel-like keyboards leave you demanding MORE. I hope that we get a lot more from Richard Alexander Davis, Tim Jones and the gang. One of the best CDs I have had the pleasure to lay my hands upon this year.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe

Buy CD from : http://www.lovetownrecords.com/

Richard Alexander Davis - Richard Alexander Davis - 2009 - Love Town Records

Not to be erroneously muddled up with the tip-top UK artist Richard Anthony Davis, Richard Alexander Davis hits us with an album that I expected NOT to like, and I was very happy and nicely surprised to sit through this album of interesting and varied soulful interpretations without yawning, sighing or grinding my gnashers! Richard Alexander Davis is an extremely capable and soulful vocalist in the most delicious manner - and this showcases what talents he has. What I am keen on is what NEW material he can come up with, as this would really and truly cement this guy into my consciousness. I am really impressed with the choices of songs covered here. These are well known tunes but not necessarily the most obvious ones. This is no American Idol pastiche. The readings are very true to the originals yet different, updated and fresh enough to be considered different beasts.

Take, for example, his BRILLIANT version of Freddie Jackson's "Nice 'N Slow" which is one of my favourite Jackson tunes. A really fresh, lively, rendition and one to stand alongside the original yet far enough apart to be totally complimentary in any number of ways. "Love Town" is another song that works very well - and no more so that the great cover of Sherrick's "Just Call". A song I adore, still, to this day. The anthemic "I Am Somebody" is given a triumphant repaint and still manages to inspire positivity in me when I hear it - his version of Al Jarreau's classic "Just To Be Loved" is also tasty and the acoustic rendition of another top Freddie Jackson tune, "Rock Me Tonight", is very different and unquestionably stylish. His version of Jeffrey Osborne's 1982 hit "Don't You Get So Mad" is absolutely brilliant and I cannot recommend it enough. He passes well on James "D-Train" Williams' appearance on Bob Sinclair's "Darlin'" as well - a good job done. A very worthwhile CD, here.

Barry Towler
The Vibe Scribe