ROGER DAVIES REVIEWS

"The best thing I've seen in 20 years. That lad has everything. I can't teach him  anything.  If I had a torch I'd throw it to him... The English need their Englishness more at the moment than ever and if he carries on writing like this I'm certain he'll get recognition." Harvey Andrews

"Roger Davies is a singer-songwriter who has crafted his skills as a writer, singer and guitarist into something impressive, direct and deceptively uncluttered. Every song on his second album 'Northern Trash' is a standout, ranging from the light-hearted pastiche of 'The Beerbelly Blues' to tender ballads such as 'Harmony.' His writing is quintesentially English, and, more specifically, rooted in his own Northern experience. Far from being either sentimentally twee or a mere gimmick, his references to Yorkshire towns and places have exactly that validity which one enjoys in the songs of the McGarrigles or Bruce Springsteen. Song tiles like 'Bradford Girl' and 'Huddersfield Town' make this obvious, but more significantly the songs include more specific and informed details, such as Castle Hill, Lidget Green, Brighouse, Bradford, Halifax, Hipperholme and many more. The whole album is so satisfying that you'll find yourself returning to it again and again, with renewed and increased pleasure. The name may be new, but Roger Davies is clearly a major star in the making." - Nigel Scholfield (Living Tradition Magazine 2008)

"There is a potentially huge talent emerging in our midst: Roger Davies, whose songs I can remember very clearly... My first impression was 'is this guy serious?' as his first song told of the ordinariness of life in Huddersfield. The deadpan delivery gave nothing away as he proceeded to regale us with further stories of ordinary life with extraordinary, understated humour and delightful turns of phrase... A good voice accompanied by proficient guitar playing added to the enjoyment of the experience.  Do the man, and yourself a favour and buy his CD's. I can see a great future ahead so let's help him on his way."

Joe Grint (Tykes News - gig review, 2007)

"Roger Davies is a singer-songwriter who has started making quite a name for himself, simply by being prepared to turn up and perform at singers nights in folk clubs. With the sounding-board of an audience which is at once generous and critical, he has crafted his skills as a writer, singer and guitarist into something impressive, direct and deceptively uncluttered. Every song on his second album 'Northern Trash' is a standout. It ranges from light-hearted pastiche (The Beerbelly Blues) to tender ballads (Harmony). His writing is quintesentially English, and, more specifically, rooted in his own Northern experience. It's a truism that, unlike American locations, English place names don't work in contemporary songs - which is particularly true of Northern names. Roger flies in the face of recieved wisdom and offers in the course of one CD a virutal A to Z of the wool towns of West Yorkshire. Far from being either sentimentally twee or a mere gimmick, his references have exactly that validity which one enjoys in the songs of the McGarrigles or Bruce Springsteen. Song tiles like 'Bradford Girl' and 'Huddersfield Town' make this obvious, but more significantly the songs include more specific and informed detail - Castle Hill, Lidget Green, Brighouse, Bradford, Halifax, Hipperholme and many more. Roger clearly knows the difference between convenient name checks and tellingly exact allusion. Similar precision can be found in his uncluttered and entirely appropriate guitar accompaniments, his vocal phrasing and his melodies. The whole album is so satisfying that you'll find yourself returning to it again and again, with renewed and increased pleasure."

- Nigel Schofield (Living Tradition Magazine)

Defiantly "northern", yes, but certainly not trash. Roger's a West Yorkshire (Brighouse-born) singer-songwriter who engages your attention straight away with his easy, unassuming, captivatingly relaxed performing style and his knack for finding musical poetry in purely local places, stories and references. (It's been said that if anyone can make Huddersfield seem beautiful, then it's Roger!) Roger is genuinely welcoming you to his world, of which he's genuinely proud. He draws you in straightaway with his plain, touching, wry observations: there's a total lack of pretension in his writing which is refreshing, as he addresses things that matter to us all: small details in the bigger scheme of things they may be, but they mean the world to the likes of Roger and us. Roger writes with evident affection about living in his native county, and this quality colours his perception of life in general. He's one of the good guys, and he makes you feel good about being alive and able to appreciate simple pleasures. The gentle romance of 'The Way You Love Me' and 'Harmony' are good examples of Roger's craft, which is informed by the espousal of solid traditional songwriting values ('Old Fashioned Man' forms a kind of mission statement, I guess!) Roger has a real gift for easy-flowing melody and an enviable economy of expression: in these respects, songs such as 'Bradford Girl' and 'Harmony' put me in mind of Clive Gregson.  While you're listening to Roger's songs, you don't notice the craft in the economy; the lines seem to come out so naturally, conversationally, and the phrases seem curiously - well, obvious, but just you try to write something similar and you'll realise how difficult it is! Finally, Roger's own guitar accompaniments are unflashy but actually highly adept, with a real art to their very unobtrusiveness. Do try Roger's music - I'm sure you'll find him utterly charming, entertaining and accessible.                                - David Kidman November 2007