Guy Forsyth is a talented Austin, Texas-based singer/songwriter, and his Rider EP is strong, brief selection of his skills. His style incorporates rock, blues, and Americana into an especially inviting mix. He is one thoughtful, intelligent artist.
ABANDCAMP: https://guyforsyth.bandcamp.com/album/rider-ep
He has an incisive way of making big statements somehow come off personal and relatable. For example, he addresses the whole gun issue in a manner that helps to put ‘meat on the issue,’ so to speak. Titled “Armalite,” it describes somebody that keeps an Armalite rifle under his bed. Instead of making statements – pro or con – Forsyth instead gets into the head of this gun owner. He’s not attempting to paint the man in any sort of light. Rather, he chooses to create a portrait of a gun owner where he describes a little of what makes this individual tick. You may be an adamant anti-gun person, but no matter where you come out on the issue, you still need to try and come to grips with what motivates these individuals. Forsyth keeps his lyric open to various interpretations. This could be about a soldier. Then again, it could also be about a rogue miscreant, plotting some atrocity. The only thing we know for sure is this person has a powerful weapon at his disposal, and he’s fully ready to use it.
In contrast, “Roling Blackout Blues” reveals a different side of Forsyth’s musical personality. It is, as its title suggests, a blues song. Sung over acoustic guitar and colored by harmonica, Forsyth gives his vocal a jazzy, acoustic blues vibe. It also features some tasty acoustic slide guitar licks. It’s a song about the rolling blackouts that hit his home state of Texas, where energy issues are a constant concern. It addresses a contemporary issue yet sounds like an old-time song.
With “Get Up,” Forsyth gives us something entirely different. It’s an upbeat, nearly new wave-ish track. With it, Forsyth sings an encouraging, ‘get up and go’ song. It’s the sort of song that will wake up anyone from lethargy. There are times when we can get lost in our inactivity. It takes a true friend to notice this apathy and kick us in the butt. Heck, this is one that we can also sing to ourselves. If we find ourselves merely watching life, rather than actually living it, we need to put ourselves in motion. Don’t just stand there, Forsyth seems to be suggesting, get up and do something! Sometimes, anything. Don’t be an observer of life; be a liver of life, instead.
“Rider,” the album’s title track, is a midtempo, country-esque song. It’s sung in a thoughtful, empathetic tone. In addition to its country music instrumentation, it also includes some spooky (steel guitar?), which may make it related in some way to the ghost rider sung about in “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”
Yes, this may be a small package of songs, but it sure includes plenty of variety. Guy Forsyth is yet one more fantastic Texas singer/songwriters – it seems as there are a million of them down there. This Rider EP is just so easy to love.
Garth Thomas