Heart On Sleeve: Ricky Lewis – “Gauntlet In The Sun”

Ricky Lewis

“Gauntlet In The Sun”

See You In The Morning

The perfect break-up album (or least, it will help you recover).  Ricky Lewis is one of those singers whose songs are really biographical, and though it’s sometimes painful to hear, it’s also cathartic.  I find Lewis’ words and music reminiscent to Victor Krummenacher both in style and content, but Lewis is less Americana and almost a touch more Country.  Lewis wrote the album after a break-up with a woman with whom he shared a life and a worn-out copy of Just Kids by Patti Smith.  In fact, Lewis sounds like a male Smith.  As his bio says:

Part coming-of-age story, part letter trying to explain the things you couldn’t bring yourself to say, See You In The Morning is the debut record by Ricky Lewis. Written during that last year of domesticity, and a little bit after too, it’s a ten song collection of “heartfelt folk and country rock that’s reminiscent of My Morning Jacket, Strand Of Oaks, Ryan Adams, and Kevin Morby” (Stereogum) that adds to the pantheon of breakup records with right to the core lyrics like “I killed all my friends to prove I want you the most” from highlightDeath Valley…. Ricky watches a lot less TV now. He’s got a new band, and has been stockpiling songs in Alphabet City, where he lives with his dog Agnes.

This is one of the most beautiful, heart-felt album out there.