Dyer Davis, Dog Bites Back, album cover

Dyer Davis, Dog Bites Back

By Mike O’Cull

Newcomer Dyer Davis shows off big chops and unlimited potential on his debut album Dog Bites Back.

Released on WildRoots Records, Dog Bites Back is an impressive effort that lets blues, soul, and rock sounds flow into each other. It also reveals the 22-year-old Davis as a triple-threat performer in possession of an outstanding voice, highly-evolved guitar skills, and an ability to write compelling songs consistently.

Davis is backed on the album by his regular rhythm section of drummer David Weatherspoon and bassist Jacob Barone. This core unit gets augmented by a slew of talented guests including drummer Stan Lynch (Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers), Grammy-nominated keyboardist Victor Wainwright, drummer Billy Dean, bassist Stephen Dees, sax player Patricia Ann Dees, and guitarist Billy Chapin. Doug Woolverton and Mark Earley also join in on trumpet and bari sax, respectively.

Dyer originally started life as a rock artist after being inspired by his musician father’s collection of records from the 60s and 70s. The blues-based rock artists were his favorites and he developed a special affinity for the early Jeff Beck albums with Rod Stewart on vocals. He spent the last eight years playing rock gigs but left his band Rubber Soul Child behind to do the music that drove him to become a musician in the first place. His commitment to the blues and its descendants is audible in everything he does and he attacks his material with a young man’s passion.

Davis opens Dog Bites Back alone, doubling his vocal lines with his guitar as a lead-in to the blues/rock blaster “Let Me Love You.” His singing voice is a truly-remarkable instrument and is the first thing you’ll notice about him. His pipes can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greats of the past. His range of pitch and emotion is crazy huge and he has the musicality to easily shift from rock to soul to acoustic sounds and back again. He’s also one of the fortunate few who sound better when they push themselves. Like a great tube amp, Davis’ vocal tones bloom when he goes hard.

“Walk Away My Blues” is a heavy, chugging, mid-tempo shuffle that lets Davis go all-out. His vocal lines fly high and his guitar licks follow right behind. The lyrics deal with the sort of social conflict that’s all too common these days and Dyer’s method of dealing with it. He walks away, does what he wants, and chooses the peaceful solution, which is ironic given the tune’s aggressive sound.

The acoustic guitar-framed “Water Into Wine” again puts Davis’ voice front and center. It’s a cool, moody song with a lot of atmosphere and old-school blues roots. It’s a simmering, intense song that’s all phrasing and vibration, which Davis has no trouble using to their maximum without ever over-playing. He seems to be that rare young player who intuitively understands that space matters just as much as fire.

“Cryin’ Shame” is a soulful, minor key slow jam that packs a serious punch. Davis excels on songs with a wide dynamic range like this one. They let him get quiet and build his way back to full power with a transfixing ebb and flow. His slightly dark, overdriven lead tone swims well with the lines he plays and is just as emotive as his voice.

The always-amazing Victor Wainwright pops up on the stomping “Long Way To Go,” delivering the mail on piano and vocals. Wainwright is an outstanding and complimentary presence with Davis and the pair immediately start demonstrating what hard, modern blues can be. This is one of the most powerful moments on Dog Bites Back and only fools would miss it.

Every song here exudes that magic, untouchable feeling of someone who is about to become huge. Davis has the skills, maturity, and artistry of players twice his age and stands out as an individual, even in a crowded playing field. Dog Bites Back is one of the strongest debut albums to come down in quite some time. Dyer Davis gives every indication of being on a trajectory to become one of the dominant artists in contemporary blues. Remember: you heard it here first.

Listen “Dog Bites Back”