Roy Paymon’s Guarding Crows!
August 15th, 2010 by Murray Barnes | Posted in Bandcamped Review, MusicWhy not have a listen while reading?
Who on Earth is Roy Paymon? Actually, I have no idea.
Seriously though, who is this guy?
I was browsing Reddit late one night when there was a post in the subscriber only subreddit r/lounge where a gentleman was offering the first 100 responders a free copy of his debut album. What follows is my attempt at reviewing that album.
I don’t really know how to review music. I’ve tried it before, which ended with me receiving a free CD. That’s always nice. I’ve attempted it a couple of other times, but I guess reviewing isn’t my forte (a word I am surprised to see doesn’t actually have an accent on the e. Huh).
Maybe we should ask what the man says about himself. The following description is taken from the about page of his website.
With a unique playing style, evoking equal parts dusty Americana and traditional Greek music, Roy Paymon delivers a haunting debut in Guarding Crows, an ethereal stream of songs drenched in rustic influences, new and old.
From the fire-and-brimstone stomp of “Big Black Bell”, to the fragile beauty of “Imonetta”, Roy Paymon has threaded a dense, unique tapestry that pays tribute to the soundscapes of Ross Daly, Emmylou Harris, Fleetwood Mac and Daniel Lanois, filtered through pop harmonies and rootsy time signatures. Despite the lush, intricate orchestrations of Guarding Crows, all songs were written, performed and produced by Roy Paymon in his bedroom, using only an old mic and the trusty guitar that has kept him company throughout his peculiar journeys around the world from military officer to award-winning film-maker.
Roy Paymon currently lives in Brooklyn.
His music reminds me a little of John Kraus’s excellent Donkey Off A Dead Horse, or Robert Plant’s Gallow’s Pole. It has that feel of traditional folk songs with a bit of a modern twist. Except that these aren’t traditional folk songs, they were all written by the man himself. That takes some skill, writing a traditional song. They’re brand new, but they feel old. I’m not sure I can give any better praise than that.
Admittedly I’ve only had the album a few hours and my feelings could change, but this is a solid album that I think will easily fit into my regular listening schedule. My personal highlights are Big Black Bell, Tipperary Sand and Bone Chime. Give it a listen in the player up above, and if it strikes your fancy, buy the album for only $7.99 from Bandcamp, iTunes or £5.99 on Amazon’s MP3 service.
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