A decade has passed since I first became aware of Ryan Allen's music. That sure was a quick ten years! Today, I review him as a lead artist for the 13th time. His new album, cleverly titled Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge, is almost definitely his magnum opus so far. At the very least, this is the most of himself that he has ever put into one of his releases. The album essentially combines all the musical influences that have ever shaped his songwriting, and yet every track sounds distinctly like him. I have to admit that when it came to Ryan Allen, I loved him from the moment I first heard his voice. And over the past decade, I've had the pleasure of hearing him grow as an artist and embrace a wider array of influences while still rooting his musical approach in timeless melody.
At one point, there seemed to be two sides to Ryan Allen: the experimental indie rock side and the melodic power pop side. Slowly but sure, those two sides melded into one. Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge is the work of an artist who loves everything from '90s alt-rock to classic power pop to left of the dial indie rock to shoegaze to The Beatles to punk rock and has absorbed all those influences in a way that's fully cohesive and reflective of his unique point of view. I feel like all of us, when we get to a certain age, grow out of particular phases and simply embrace everything we've ever loved. That's where Allen is in his musical journey. And having spent so much time (especially post 2020) working on home recording, Allen has really figured out who he is an artist and how to achieve the sound he's going for. I have a strong attachment to 2015's Heart String Soul for sentimental reasons. But when you compare Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge to Heart String Soul, it's striking how far Allen has come as a songwriter, musician, and producer of his own work. As I listen to this record over and over, I find myself feeling like it goes by too quickly. Yet at nearly a half hour, this is not a particularly short album. It just seems that way because it's so good that I'm ultimately left wanting more.
Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge is an album inspired by memories of being a kid and discovering a whole new world of music that you never knew existed — and of being an adult who never lost that enthusiasm and wonderment. I would imagine that almost anyone reading this now will be able relate to that. You could be listening to any one of millions of podcasts or reading any one of millions of online publications right now, but you're here looking at some small-time music blog because you're still super-passionate and genuinely excited about new music. As he revisits the music that was life-changing in his teenage years, Allen is not afraid to sometimes wear his influences on his sleeve. "I Should (But I Don't Really Wanna)" literally recreates Teenage Fanclub's guitar tone. The hilariously on-point "Conspiracy Theory" would not sound out of place between Swervedriver and My Bloody Valentine on a mixed tape. "After I'm Dead" unabashedly worships at the altar of Big Star. "So What Who Cares" doesn't care if you think it sounds like Stereolab. But for the most part, the influences on this album are more suggested than obvious — the result of them co-mingling in Allen's brain for thirty plus years and ultimately getting filtered through his own personal style. Without sounding like any band in particular, "Lost in a Daze" captures the spirit of fuzzy early '90s college radio power pop. I can't decide if "Devil's Juice" is trying to be action rock or garage punk, but I know that I love it. If Devo, Sonic Youth, and Guided by Voices had been one band, they might have written "The Construction Man." "Company's Eyes" is the sort of classic jangly pop that I hope Allen never stops writing. "In the Next Life," Allen's poignant tribute to a recently passed friend, is beautiful and silky-smooth — an unironic nod to the soft rock that ruled the airwaves in the '70s and early '80s.
Of course there's an undeniable '90s nostalgia underpinning Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge. When Allen was a teen discovering much of the music that influenced this record, I was a twenty-something discovering many of those same bands myself. So of course I'm going to have a soft spot for these songs. But those fond memories are just a starting point — not the ultimate destination. This is by no means a "retro" album. It asks you not to turn back the clock a few decades but rather to appreciate the timelessness of the music that inspired it. Allen's lyrics run the gamut from personal reflections to social commentary to deeper ruminations on life in these times. Altogether, this is a record that feels very relatable and very now. Songs about coping with anxiety, enjoying domestic bliss, and wanting to create something meaningful to be remembered by absolutely speak to me, and they likely will to you as well. Far more than just the product of his influences, Ryan Allen is a songwriter of extraordinary talents. I will always think of him when I'm asked why the 2010s were such a rad time for indie pop. But in the 2020s, he has only gotten better. I imagine he's extremely proud with what he has created in Livin' On A Prayer On The Edge. And let me tell you: he should be.
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