New Release: Creaturefeature by Dennis Davison

You may know Dennis Davison as the lead singer and main songwriter of the Grammy Award nominated indie band Jigsaw Seen. The Los Angeles quartet released nine albums between 1991 and 2014, garnering a solid fan base and critical acclaim along the way. He is also known for heading up United States of Existence, a solid psychedelic rock group out of Baltimore in the eighties. Davison released his first solo album, The Book of Strongman, in 2020. This new 5-song EP sees the singer evolving and perfecting his songwriting. Davison was clearly born late, as he embodies a sixties sound while creating relevant, 21st century vibes.

Lead-off single “Creatures of Love” is the epitome of a Davison tune, and reminiscent of his Jigsaw era sound, with bandmate Terry Freese on drums. The song is testament to multigenerational pop music, hooks galore. “World war four is knocking at your door / World war three never happened to me,” Davison sings on the rocking “The Greatest Moment in History.” This song may muster different meanings with different listeners. Could be referring to world events or even personal relationships. Give it a shot and see what you get.

“The Guise of Comedy” kicks off like a creepy amusement park theme…and you’re being chased by clowns (citing the EP’s title, perhaps). But Davison gets semi-serious when he sings, “Under the guise I can seltzer your face, insult your race, put you down in disgrace / Under the guise I can poke in your eyes, justify cries and attack you with pies.” “The Monuments” is an observation of the recent spate of “canceled” historical figures, who mostly fought for the Confederate States of America. “I’ll set you free the day that they topple the monuments / The day that they bring down the statues and pulverize the past / The ghosts will be ground in to powder / The graven marble recast.” The song’s meaning requires little imagination.

The wispy and wonderful closer “Reconstruction” finds Davison handling all the duties on the song: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, mini Moog, mellotron, and glockenspiel. Following “Monuments,” he confronts the ugly truths of post-Civil War America with all its unjust practices. “Reconstruction lies ahead / No place for the weak to tread / Drowning / Clawing / Fighting our way through the storm.”

This EP was mastered at Abbey Road Studios in London, adding to that sixties mystique. Give it a listen. Check out this and more of Dennis Davison’s music on his Bandcamp page.

#SupportIndieMusic