Charles Ryan Davis describes himself as, “a reclusive, yet prolific and unpredictable singer/songwriter from Kentucky, USA.”
I do not know Charles personally so I can neither confirm nor deny his level of reclusivity. However, based on his Spotify profile, I definitely agree that he is prolific. That is an understatement.
Since 2017 Charles has released five albums, named numerically in succession (1,2,3,4, and 5). These five records represent forty-four songs. That is a lot of songs in two years. And it’s only July. At this rate he may drop number 6 before the year is out.
His choice of arrangement and instrumentation leads me to agree that his also unpredictable. On his new track “Modesty,” Charles pairs a driving acoustic guitar and some impressive organ chops as accompaniment to his earnest, soapbox vocal delivery. His singing, in style and content, lands somewhere between folk music legend Pete Seeger and political activist Alt-Rocker Peter Garrett (the bald guy from Midnight Oil).
The guitar and organ both stick to the chords through the verse. However, the keys really take of during the choruses. As Charles sings, he rips rapid paced organ riffs reminiscent of a Klezmer accordion. Unpredictable indeed.
Social Commentary
The lyrics are the real star of the show here. Charles says “Modesty” is, “about political arguments on social media.” I’d say that is another understatement. The song is three minutes of blisteringly clever social commentary. Charles has a real talent for packing a lot of weight into a short phrase. His play-on-words style perfectly represents the inherent ridiculousness of the shoutfest that has become social discourse in modern society.
I started to quote some of my favorite lines from the song, but there are too many. So, instead I have copied the full lyric below.
Listen to “Modesty” here, and check out Charles Ryan Davis on Spotify and iTunes.
Connect:
Modesty ~ LYRICS
East west, left right
Share the meme, a guiding light
Grab her by the, keep your doc
Gerrymandering Plymouth Rock
Trickle down the poor man’s throat
Spin the stat to swing the vote
Pro-life, pro-choice, pro-wrestling ring
Why not abort the mud we sling?
Modesty, a lost art
Sure could use a jumpstart
Can’t see the forest for the trees
Fare thee well, modesty
Parties, gangs, red and blue
Build a wall ‘round cable news
Snowflakes fall on tongues of sheep
Dressed as wolves driving Jeeps
Dogs whistle, witches hunt
iPhones are the battlefront
Search the internet and act
Like what you typed won’t skew the fact
Modesty, a lost art (ages old)
Sure could use a jumpstart
Can’t see the forest for the trees
Fare thee well, modesty
Free world, Mother Earth
Been sucking from your tit since birth
Lobby this, bail me that
Banks too big and pills too fat
Home for sale on the range
Pay Stormy off with climate change
Drink your Kool-Aid, eat your pork
Like kids from Cali to New York
Modesty, a lost art (ages old)
Sure could use a jumpstart (engine cold)
Can’t see the forest for the trees
Fare thee well, modesty
~ CRD