Alex Thomas Davis’s “Laying It On The Lines” is a raw release. With a minimal lo-fi approach consisting of guitar and vocals “Laying It On The Lines” possesses a great heart. The songs display his gift for storytelling. Indeed most of the songs possess a clear focus on ordinary events. Because life is made up of these small yet significant events alexthomasdavis’s work becomes quite affecting. Repetition helps to make the pieces hypnotic as the stories gradually evolve and expand their scope.
“Come Back to My Heart” starts the album off with a tinge of wistfulness. Gone with the joy of earlier times the song focuses on the present bleakness. Following this is the black comedy of “Only You and Me” alexthomasdavis goes through a list of various unfortunate individuals all of whom appear doomed yet less doomed than the song’s protagonist. With “Lonely” alexthomasdavis explores what it means to be alone surrounded by friends, how groups try to hide their sadness through the old adage of misery loves company. On “The Sound of Me Loving You” the album moves away from the initial pessimism of the first half of the album and towards hope. This continues with the gentle “Someone Is Having a Day”. Ending off the album is the cautious optimism of “The Valley of Death” which looks for strength and forgiveness in a dark place.
By keeping everything to the unfiltered truths alexthomasdavis is able to create an incredibly honest portrait of what it means to be alive.
