The Dignity Project: Review - "These are songs for our times." Aptly called “The Dignity Project”, Garrick Davis’ songs are both deeply personal and universal. They speak to the dignity of life and human existence. These are songs for our times. A time when our world is struggling with its capacity for humanity and dignity.

Tempered by emotional and expressive depth, Davis’s songs are catalysts for awakening us to our shadow and our light, our lack of self-awareness, and our capacity for greater self-awareness.

Track 4, “Ain’t No Devil (but the human)” is both a personal and societal commentary about human accountability for evil in the world. It also happens to be one of the most melodic and energetic songs on the album. Track 1, “Leave Somebody Alone" is yet another bluesy, beautiful up-tempo melodic song that is personally relatable as well as a broader social observation.

The Blues has always had a thematic focus on struggle, resilience, and social commentary. What’s different is that Garrick Davis brings a modern voice and style to his music that resonates with a more mainstream audience along with those who love the Blues.

Foundationally, Davis’s music is influenced by the Blues. Although it is a fusion of other genres (roots, jazz, rock, soul etc.) which he has synchronistically named, World Blues. I say this because, we are currently living in a world that is mired in “the blues”, struggling to create a more life-affirming way to coexist.

So, there couldn’t be a better time to hear these songs, to take them into our hearts, to treat them as deeply held lessons from the soul that are leading us toward the possibility of spiritual transcendence in a world that has gone awry.

This is not to imply that Davis’ music or message is lofty. His personality, approach and style are incredibly down to earth. He embodies a hard won wisdom with elegance and sincerity. His guitar playing is instinctive, soulful, and emotionally directed. His songs have heart and guts. You don’t just hear them, you feel them. Davis' songs are authentic to his own personal tragedies and victories.

The song, “My Only Son”, track 6 on the album, is a tribute to the untimely death of his young adult son, Zach. The Dignity Project was inspired by that loss. Mostly, Davis’ music aims to uplift us, to inspire us to prevail, to “let the beauty we love be what we do”. (Rumi) And he knows from experience that it hasn’t been easy. - Raine Jordan