Album Review: Moot Davis – Already Moved On

Moot Davis’ self-titled debut created a stir among critics in 2004. Three years later, Already Moved On is the follow-up to that debut and should help anchor his name in the minds of critics and country music aficionados alike.

He comes out of the chutes with all cylinders firing on the driving “Toggle Switch Down”, about the fast, hard living life of a truck driver, before slowing down a little for “Talkin’ ‘Bout Lonely”. If you listen closely you might hear a Hankesque inflection or two in his voice.

One needs only to peruse the subject matter to know that Moot Davis is following in the footsteps of his honky-tonk forefathers. We have a song about a love, loneliness, broken hearts, raising hell, and mama. Those last two are courtesy of the only cover on the album–Johnny Paycheck’s “I’m the Only Hell (My Mama Ever Raised)”. That leaves ten originals with Davis and Anderson sharing writing credits on the majority of the songs. After three years one might expect more material, but that’s a mute detail considering the quality of what is present.

The best music has instrumentation that is aware of its lyrical content, it adapts from song to song to punctuate the subject matter, and that’s exactly what Pete Anderson has achieved with Already Moved On. Whether it’s the break-neck pace of the bass-heavy “Toggle Switch” or the piano-rich “Used To be You” each song has a distinct feeling without wandering too far from the overall feel of the album. It’s as much a celebration of the musical instruments as it is the song writing and vocal delivery.

I still stand by the assertion I made in a previous post, “Moot Davis sings authentic, unadulterated country music with two feet firmly planted in the lineage of honky-tonk legends past. Papa Hank would be proud.” Do yourself a favor and add this one to your collection.

Favorite tracks: “The Man, the Myth”, “Already Moved On”, “Used to Be You”
MySpace: Moot Davis