con davison – “sofa bed”

– featured image courtesy of the artist –

after an impressive inaugural solo outing with last fall’s far off distant plans, con davison has wasted little time delivering a follow-up. “sofa bed” finds the st. paul musician, perhaps most recognizable for his work behind the drum kit in bad bad hats, further solidifying his songwriting chops; davison excels at effortless vocal melodies, focusing here on one that ascends towards the stratosphere, momentarily tumbling before hitting a gentle falsetto range.

paired with a subtly syncopated foundation and a fuzzy, angular riff, “sofa bed” appropriately feels like con davison in his most fully-realized state yet, one that will inevitably shift as he refines his craft. while we look forward to the prospect of more music from davison this year, “sofa bed” sates a collective appetite for the time being. dive in below.

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con davison – “talk”

– featured image courtesy of the artist –

the st. paul songwriter con davison has parlayed two excellent singles – “somebody else” and “subtle kick” – into an affinity felt by those who keep their ears close to the ground.  with the recent release of his third single, davison’s burgeoning solo career is coming into focus; a debut extended play, far off distant plans, is due this fall.

that aforementioned single, “talk,” finds davison comfortable in a mid-tempo setting, enveloped in saturated guitars.  a deftly-guided push-and-pull defines the track, with davison steering the narrative through its more breezy passages and pausing for non-linear ruminations in its more cavernous enclaves.  a nonchalant, adroit commentary on the inexplicable nature of everyday encounters and feelings, “talk” is davison’s most fully-realized effort to date.  check it out below.

con davison – “subtle kick”

– featured image courtesy of the artist –

after making a lasting first impression with his groove-laden, piano-driven debut single “somebody else,” the st. paul singer-songwriter con davison convincingly switches gears on his follow-up.  “subtle kick” is comparatively breezy, shedding the sonic gravity of its predecessor but keeping the lyrical weight as davison turns in two deceptively simple verses and a chorus about the trappings of material want.

the linchpin of “subtle kick” is its instrumental bridge, a percolating break that presages the track’s soaring final act and solidifies its status as a tender, infectious ode to betterment that may well be one of the best songs of the summer.  take a listen below.

con davison – “somebody else”

– featured image courtesy of the artist –

the st. paul-based musician con davison has spent time playing in various twin cities bands, most recently bad bad hats and dreamspook, the latter of which turned in one of our favorite albums of 2017.  after years in a supporting role, davison has struck out on a solo venture under his own name, and the project’s debut single proves fruitful and intriguing.

“somebody else” is anchored around an ambling, ascending piano progression, with swift descending interjections occasionally jarring its progress.  the presence of davison’s lead vocal is immediate, a warm tenor that’s as effective dry in observations as it is doused in delay and reverb during more ruminative passages.  “somebody else” really comes into its own when the track’s main motif is introduced, a woozy melody that winds its way around vocals and worms its way into ears.

groove-laden and impeccably arranged, “somebody else” is a resounding opening statement that hopefully presages a larger body of work to come.  take a listen below.