Published on Jul 13, 2000
In the nicest form of the word, Clay Davidson is a musical
mutt.
You can hear the influences ringing through his debut album
Unconditional. There’s the rock-soaked rhythms of Lynyrd
Skynyrd peppered throughout the disc, as well as the hell-bent
country-fried attitude of Travis Tritt. But there’s also a little
touch of thoughtfulness a la Garth Brooks. Put this together, and
you have a debut that succeeds more often than it slips – though
one ends up hoping Davidson quickly develops his own unique
style.
Certainly the musical influences being at the forefront help to
make
Unconditional approachable and easy on the ears. The first
three songs hit the listener like Mike Tyson rabbit punches,
starting with the good-ol-time number “Makin’ Hay” and the
Skynyrd-influenced “I Can’t Lie To Me.”
But the real grenade lies in the title track, a number which has
gotten a lot of deserved attention. I almost never watch Country
Music Television, but I actually stopped and watched the video for
this amazing song from start to finish. The way that Davidson
delivers the goods on this song (which, to be fair, he didn’t
write) is what really seals the deal, resulting in one of the most
powerful country music songs in a long time.
The difficulty is that it sometimes feels like Davidson used the
three strongest weapons in his arsenal to kick off
Unconditional. The bulk of the album, while anything but
disappointing, doesn’t always carry the same kind of emotional
spark that the first ten minutes has. Tracks like “Plain Ol’ Pain,”
“What Was I Thinking Of,” “My Best Friend And Me” and “Doghouse
Rights” all lean more on the side of average – something I wouldn’t
have expected after the opening of the disc.
And there are times where it seems like Davidson leans a little
too much on his influences. “We’re All Here” is more than a little
Hank Williams, Jr.-based, and while it is a fittingly raucous way
to close the disc, it doesn’t quite feel original.
All of these points, mind you, are things that a young artist
such as Davidson can easily improve on with time and touring. Given
the right guiding hands and the proper seasoning on the road,
Davidson could well be the next crossover superstar of the genre.
Right now, he’s definitely a star, but he’s not at the finish
line… yet.
Unconditional is a decent first effort that shines more not
because of the strong opening, but because of the promise of better
things from Davidson. Until that happens, he should most definitely
enjoy the fruits of his effort — but he should know that people
will be expecting much more from him with his next disc.