It was just a little less than ten years ago when I first got hip to Ryan Allen — who by then was already a two-decade veteran of the underground music scene. If I ever did a list of favorite albums I've reviewed for this blog, Heart String Soul would be on it. Within the first 74 seconds of "Should Be Me," I knew I was going to love the album. And Allen was instantly one of my favorite artists. Since then, I've had the great privilege of chronicling his career, and I highly recommend anything he has ever written or played on. But there's something in particular about his home-recorded stuff that really hits the spot for me. And as I listen to his new single, "I Should (But I Don't Really Wanna) b/w "Anxious All the Time," I'm reminded so much of the first time I heard his music. These songs are giving those same vibes. Not every songwriter is cut out for solo work, but Allen seems to be made for it. There's something about having complete creative control that really allows him to shine as a songwriter. Both songs on this new single are taken from his forthcoming album Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge, which he describes as "the most ME record I've ever made." So first of all, that title is brilliant. And second of all, I am beyond excited for another album where Ryan Allen essentially tells the world, "Hey! This is who I am!" He certainly chose well with these two single tracks — which will give you all the feels if you have a soft spot for crunchy, vaguely melancholy early '90s indie power pop a la Teenage Fanclub and Lemonheads. But I'm also looking forward to hearing where Allen goes with the rest of the record. Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge promises to be a culmination of all the musical influences that have shaped him as an artist over the past 30+ years.
When I started this blog back in 2011, I was strictly a genre geek. You could argue I'm still genre-driven in what I write about, and that would be fair. But I feel like, over the years, I've become more of a fan of particular artists and bands as opposed to a fan of specific musical genres. That was the way I got into music as a little kid, and I seem to be going back to that in my older age. That's why I don't get tired of writing about certain bands over and over and over. Ryan Allen certainly knows how to write a great pop song. But beyond, I just really like him as singer and songwriter. And unless he starts playing nu metal, I look forward to following his artistic progression for another decade at least. Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge will be out April 25th, and pre-ordering is now open on Bandcamp. I'll have lots more to say next month!
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