Album Review – Ward Davis – “Black Cats and Crows”

Hope you’ve been filling out your end-of-year lists in pencil and not ink, ’cause if you got too married to your upper brackets, Ward Davis may have just wrecked them with this late November release.
Perhaps to some, Ward Davis is difficult to discern from the rest of the burly and bearded old school singers who are storming the beach of country music like a Viking berserker clan looking to pillage and plunder. Cody Jinks, Whitey Morgan, Alex Williams, Jamey Johnson, J.P Harris, and a whole slew of others may have you feeling beard fatigue.
But Ward Davis is unique in the space as a songwriter first, and a piano player just as much as a guitar player. Having landed cuts with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Sammy Kershaw, Cody Jinks, and Trace Adkins among others, Ward’s followup to 2015’s 15 Years in a 10 Year Town has been long-rumored and a longer time coming. But he got a little sidelined with a bitter divorce. All the better though, at least for us. Because Ward Davis puts all those fresh and raw emotions into this record, along with a lot of underlying heart and soul, fielding a collection of quality songs that for some performers would constitute an entire career’s worth.
Song after song, Black Cats and Crows sucks you in, satisfies your musical desires, and exceeds your expectations. Produced by the legendary Jim “Moose” Brown, it starts off hard and heavy with “Ain’t Gonna Be Today.” Like Cody Jinks and some of the others in the beard brigade, Ward Davis will get a little rock on you. When he pairs up with Scott Ian of Anthrax on the thunderous murder ballad “Sounds of Chains,” he’s hitting on outright heavy metal. Though the songs are always country, the sound may have some concerned early on it’s a little too crunchy for their country sensibilities.

But Black Cats and Crows covers a ton of ground in its 14 tracks. “Threads” is a well-composed and thoughtful ballad, with Ward’s piano able to bring a somber and intimate mood that an acoustic guitar can’t always attain. “Where I Learned To Live” feels like a country standard in the making. And interwoven throughout the record, Ward continues to come back to his unfortunate separation, devastating you with insight on songs like “Book of Matches” and “Nobody” all about boxes of belongings and painful memories as one life becomes two.
With 14-song albums, you commonly anticipate a couple of weak tracks. Not so much for Black Cats and Crows. All that comes close is maybe his rendition of the song “Colorado” first cut by Cody Jinks, but only because you might already be familiar with it. This Ward Davis version that takes advantage of a little fiddle might even be better though. The album ends on another song fans have heard before in “Good and Drunk,” which Ward released on a 2018 EP called Asunder, which makes a great addendum to this record, since it’s also about Ward’s divorce.
And if one murder ballad wasn’t enough for you, Ward Davis offers a second in “Papa and Mama” originally by Ray Scott who Ward used to play piano for. But don’t worry, Black Cats and Crows isn’t all blood and guts and broken hearts. “Get To Work Whiskey” makes for a great barroom rouser, while “Heaven Had a Hand” offers a few sweet moments to balance out the pain.
But still, it’s the times Ward Davis gets personal about his split that make this record, whether it’s ruminating over what a “Nobody” he is despite his measure of fame and recognition as a musician as he stands in an empty house that once use to be a home, or maybe most poignantly when he sings from his ex-wife’s perspective on “Lay Down On Love” in a brilliant stroke of “other shoe” perspective many performers couldn’t muster, especially saddled with the emotion of a breakup. These are the songs that take Black Cats and Crows from a quality recording to something worth spotlighting at the front of the class.
From growling tracks to get your blood pumping, to some of the easiest country songs to ease into, to songs written with such searing insight you’ll be squeezing back tears, Black Cats and Crows may have been inspired by bad luck and worse decisions, but it results in immense measures of good fortune for listeners.
Two Guns Up (9/10)
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1. Ain’t Gonna Be Today – Kendell Marvel, Ward Davis
2. Black Cats and Crows – Cody Jinks, Tennessee Jet, Ward Davis
3. Threads – Pearl Aday, Ward Davis
4. Sounds of Chains – Greg Jones, Ward Davis
5. Get to Work Whiskey – Bob Regan, Ward Davis
6. Colorado – Cody Jinks, Ward Davis
7. Books of Matches – Bob Regan, Ward Davis
8. Heaven Had a Hand – RHEAN BOYER, Ward Davis
9. Where I Learned to Live – Jim “Moose Brown, Ward Davis
10. Papa and Mama – Ray Scott
11. Lady Down on Love – Randy Owen
12. Nobody – Shawn Camp, Ward Davis
13. Good to Say Goodbye – Kerry Kurt Phillips, RHEAN BOYER, Ward Davis
14. Good and Drunk – Ward Davis
November 20, 2020 @ 9:17 am
Man I am loving this album! You just can’t go wrong with Ward.
November 20, 2020 @ 9:21 am
Got it this morning. Absolutely kick ass!
November 23, 2020 @ 5:45 pm
Every time I play this album I find a completely new favorite song or moment.
November 20, 2020 @ 9:47 am
Trigger- “Lady Down on Love” isn’t a Ward song. Sorry I’m advance if I misinterpreted what you wrote
November 20, 2020 @ 10:12 am
Yeah, I guess I stand corrected on that one. Nowhere in any of the copy on this record is Randy Owen or Alabama mentioned. Cody Jinks, Shawn Camp, and Kendall Marvell are who is listed as contributors. And apparently I’m not versed enough in the Alabama catalog to sniff that out myself.
Nonetheless, I’m not sure that changes the reason this song is on this album as a way for Ward to see his divorce from the perspective of his ex-wife.
November 21, 2020 @ 6:12 am
I listened to the Prime Country’s Prime 30 Country Countdown on Sirius On Demand a few weeks back and they where counting down the year “Lady Down on Love” charted. The quick story behind the song was while Alabama was on tour, the went to a hotel lobby to unwind and there was a bachelorette party going on in this bar and a there was lonely lady sitting at the bar (not part of the party). That inspired the song.
And that is easily a top ten, maybe 15, Alabama song.
November 20, 2020 @ 10:03 am
Album of the year nothing left to talk about.
November 20, 2020 @ 3:46 pm
Wrong my friend!
That distinction goes to
The Boomswagglers ” Heartbreaking places in my mind “
November 20, 2020 @ 4:29 pm
Wrong again. That honor goes to “Keep Em On They Toes” by Brent Cobb.
November 20, 2020 @ 5:40 pm
Wrong again. Zach Bryan’s Elisabeth
November 20, 2020 @ 7:51 pm
Wrong again…..my man Charlie Crockett
December 4, 2020 @ 5:39 pm
Ward Davis breaks my heart. And country music should do that.
Ward for Album of year. No question.
November 20, 2020 @ 10:24 pm
I get Trig is in the band but I REALLY want him to review The Boomswagglers. I talk to Spencer
anytime I put this album on which is to say I hit him up quite often. Solid from top to bottom.
November 22, 2020 @ 4:12 am
This is an outstanding album. He absolutely killed it. He is an incredible talent.
November 20, 2020 @ 8:40 pm
Can’t say yes or no, too early. For me AOTY has to be best guess on one that’s still in the rotation a decade from now. On first listen this one is riding a bullet.
November 20, 2020 @ 10:22 am
It’s a damn good album.
Great writing, along with some flavorful covers. And the real estate between the guitar and the piano leaves enough room for some interesting maneuvering. It’s an interesting journey from start to finish.
November 20, 2020 @ 10:23 am
Ward is amazing and a must owned album
November 20, 2020 @ 11:01 am
I’ve been a fan of his since I saw him with Cody and this is his best yet. This should be an Album of the Year contender.
November 20, 2020 @ 11:55 am
Definitely one of my Top 10 albums of the second half of the year, maybe of the full year, as well.
Ward was actually supposed to be in town yesterday playing a show, but it got rescheduled for February. Might give me a chance to still snag tickets. $140 for a table for for for a socially distanced show. I think it will definitely be worth it.
November 20, 2020 @ 1:21 pm
One of the best complete albums I have heard in a while. Every song fits and has its place. Hopefully this album reaches a lot of new listeners and Ward gains some more recognition that he deserves. I have seen Ward open for Jinks numerous times including the Saturday show at the ryman and with Clint Park at rinky dinks in Pa. Each show Ward and band were great. The best show by far was the ryman. It was a show you had to be there to understand the energy and heart and soul each artist delivered. That was the first time I heard them play Papa and Mama. Im glad he finally put that song on an album. Cant wait to catch another live show. Also patiently waiting on Clint Parks next album to come out.
November 20, 2020 @ 1:44 pm
Ward has said he’s put his heart and soul into this album, and it’s been years in the making. Great to see the finished product reflective of that. He’s a good dude and deserves success with this.
November 20, 2020 @ 1:59 pm
I thought it got stronger about halfway through. Good album. With an Alabama song even.
November 20, 2020 @ 5:15 pm
I’ll give it another shot tomorrow. I wasn’t as moved as you first listen through. I’m more a stings guy than piano which has always kept Davis at arms length.
November 21, 2020 @ 6:01 pm
I’m with you on this one. Trig’s review is on-target–I just happen not to like this style of music (Jinks, etc.), and the piano here doesn’t help. This won’t be on my AOTY list at all. But to each their own.
November 20, 2020 @ 9:03 pm
I think Papa and Mama is a Ray Scott song. It’s certainly on his 2014 album “Ray Scott”.
November 20, 2020 @ 11:32 pm
This was pointed out in the review. Ward used to play piano and keyboards for Ray Scott on the road.
I’ve posted the entire track list with songwriting credits at the bottom of the review, just because there’s been some discussion and confusion about it.
November 21, 2020 @ 5:16 am
Hot damn, got ourselves a 9!
Love this dude.
November 21, 2020 @ 7:04 am
Sounds of Chains! Love me some murder ballads. It even has a great ending with everyone in Hell, regardless of repenting or not.
November 22, 2020 @ 5:36 pm
It’s an excellent twist, as the guy goes to his execution banking on God’s forgiveness, while he’s reveling in the idea of his ex suffering eternal damnation.
November 21, 2020 @ 12:01 pm
Just an amazing album. Everything he touches whether he wrote it or not is an instant classic. I mean when you are rolling on with Alabama that is a High Cotton indeed. This whole thing is a Dixieland delight.
November 21, 2020 @ 12:06 pm
Nice review of an extraordinary talent, however, I must say, you nearly lost me in the second paragraph. Beard fatigue? Blasphemy!
November 21, 2020 @ 1:07 pm
Glad to see I’m not the only one thrilled with this album.
Not only has it been a long time coming, but I think it’s been a longer personal journey of anguish for Ward than we realize.
Reading some of his older facebook posts about the process of picking what will be the right songs in the right order with which to bare your soul to the general public and hope it connects in a meaningful way.
I guess I’ll state some reassurance here:
Well done, Ward. You nailed it.
Been sharing with all my friends that appreciate finer music.
November 21, 2020 @ 11:16 pm
No mention of the title track or my favorite Good To Say Goodbye? I disagree with the previous comments about the piano. His piano talent sets him apart from all the others and because of this, I would love to see his cover of Ronnie Milsap’s Stranger on a future album. Those who were at the Ryman KNOW! ????
November 23, 2020 @ 2:34 pm
A bit maudlin for my tastes, a quality I usually forgive (if not outright enjoy) when listening to country music, but I’m just not feeling this one. I’m glad others are enjoying it though.
December 6, 2020 @ 7:36 pm
Ward’s album is proof he has lived, felt joy and pain, love and even hate. He puts so much emotion and feeling into each song that the listener experiences that emotion, too. I know how hard Ward has worked to be at this point in his music career; and his skills as a singer, songwriter and musician show that devotion and dedication to his craft have brought him to share some of the best music of his life in BLACK CATS AND CROWS. It is a wonderful collection of songs with some of the most thoughtfully crafted lyrics I have ever heard. It is a winner, in my book.
January 11, 2021 @ 4:16 pm
Outstanding album full of emotion and great music