‘Crow Amongst the Sparrows’ is the exceptional debut solo album from Americana and roots-rock singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Wayne. Last year, the Toronto-based artist faced a profound challenge when he experienced two strokes after a hiatus from touring and recording. During the healing process, however, he found solace in the music world – and a renewed passion for his craft was sparked. Working alongside Grammy Award-winning engineer Malcolm Burn (Bob Dylan, Patti Smith), Ryan embarked on finalising the production of a series of self-produced tracks – and ‘Crow Amongst the Sparrows’ was born!
‘Forty Paces to the Bottom’ is the record’s opener and it absolutely floored me the first time I heard it! An atmospheric and mesmerising tune, Wayne’s tender and passionate vocal performance is simply out of this world. ‘Maybe I’m to Blame’ then follows and seamlessly blends elements of Americana with psychedelia through a soulful and captivating performance.
‘Wherever You Land’ is the album’s third song and is Ryan’s dedication to all those who suffered during the pandemic. It’s also a farewell letter to the late great John Prine and just a beautiful little track. I shall leave the remaining seven tunes for you to discover all by yourself. All I’ll say is that this record is a heartfelt masterpiece.
Serious album alert! Enjoy ‘Crow Amongst the Sparrows’ on Spotify now:
