Ward Davis is a has released his third solo album. Songwriters who contributed to this album include Cody Jinks, Ray Scott and Shawn Camp. The Black Cats and Crows album was released on Nov. 20.
Here are my thoughts on each track:
Ain’t Gonna Be Today: I love Ward’s voice and I have been luck enough to see him live a couple of times. This is a great song to start an album. It’s a good song about heartbreak. I love the chorus of this song.
Black Cats and Crows: The piano intro is amazing on this song. The lyric of this song is haunting. It grabbed me and didn’t let go. I think we have been there at some point in our lives.
Threads: This is another beautifully written song about being in a dark point.
Sound Of Chains: This is an up-tempo song about murder and prison. There are not very many songs out there like this and there are not many writers who could pull this off. Well done!!
Get To Work Whiskey: I love a good drinking song. This is an up-tempo conversation with the bottle.
Colorado: If you are a Cody Jinks fan, you have heard this songs already because it was on the Lifers album. Cody and Ward wrote this one. Ward does a great job on this track and it fits well on this album.
Heaven Had A Hand In This: This is a love ballad. Ward doesn’t write many of these. It is well-written and I could see this as being a first dance song at a wedding. Placed after two serious songs, it does lighten the mood for a little while.
Where I Learned To Live: This is a great coming of age ballad.
Papa and Mama: This is a great song that was written by Ray Scott. Ward used to play with Ray. This song fits well into this album. This is a song that is likely to get stuck in your head.
Lady Down On Love: This is a cover of the great Alabama class. The fact that it fits into this album says a lot about both the timeless appeal of this song and Ward’s ability as a vocalist.
Nobody: This is a reflective lyric written by Shawn Camp, who is a great songwriter. It’s amazing how he can say so much in such few words.
Good To Say Goodbye: I love Ward’s up-tempo song. This is one song that really hit me hard. It probably has a lot to do with my relationship with my father, although it’s not exactly the same. This is my favorite song on this album.
Good And Drunk: This is a good song to end the album. It’s not a ‘happily ever after’ ending, but it does offer more hope than some of the tracks earlier in the album.