Joshua Davis: A Miracle of Birds
(Independent release)
Joshua Davis had me at The Voice. While other finalists in last winter’s season of the show scrambled to find themselves as artists, Davis came into the competition knowing exactly who he was — a piercingly blue-eyed storyteller with a guitar.
His lack of drama and his polish were refreshing. He was almost too good — the name of the game, after all, is most often watching people struggle and rise to the top. And his devoted wife and two cherub-faced children seemed to sit smiling during every performance.
Davis’ latest album A Miracle of Birds is a mix of everything that earned him third place in 2015’s first season of The Voice — it’s a soothing blend of James Taylor’s songwriting and Bob Dylan’s rasp. And that’s what he’ll bring to Northampton’s Iron Horse Music Hall on Jan. 19.
Whether toe-tappers like “Valley of Fire” or simple acoustic tunes like “Two Brothers,” the songs the Missouri-based musician has put together comprise a versatile, easy-listening collection that plays nicely in the background. Still, a more careful ear can hear the deeper stories in his lyrics — the album was inspired by a visit to Palestine.
“The Market,” the album’s second song about walking the streets of Jerusalem, hits directly on the theme that seems to permeate the album — intersecting religions. “Walking the Stations of the Cross, the call to prayer at the Farthest Mosque, davening at the Temple-lost.”
The following song, “Two Brothers,” uses a brotherly bond as a metaphor for the branching off of religions against a mellow acoustic beat. “We the sons of Abraham,” he sings. “Two wings of one bird.”
The album has a handful of lyrics that are difficult to decipher — which is a little problematic given his folk-style lean on the lyrics — but the tone and context of the song help listeners infer their meaning.
“Everybody Goes Someday,” which has a “And the Green Grass Grew all Around” type of melody to it, reads like a throwback to Davis’ days spent as a children’s musician. Its upbeat tempo and catchy lyrics make for a song anyone can enjoy. “Honey pie, when I die,” Davis sings. “I hope to go quiet like the evening sky.”
The album is littered with rock and gospel interludes, especially in “It Won’t Be Long.”
“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel,” however, melds two worlds: arabic minor chords with electric guitar that takes on a southern twang.
The album ends with “Oseh Shalom” — a Jewish prayer for peace put to music. “He who makes peace in high places, shall make peace here among us and for all of the world,” reads the prayer when translated to English.
Davis clearly set out to capture the collision of worlds, and we look forward to when he collides with ours on Jan. 19.•
