Davy Knowles - What Happens Next

by Kevin Wierzbicki

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Knowles is English and on "Heartbreak or Nothing" he sounds influenced by fellow Englishman Nick Lowe and Welshman Dave Edmunds; let's just say that fans of the pair's work in Rockpile will likely love the Knowles cut. Knowles currently lives in Chicago and his brand of rock is often soaked in the blues with the slow reckoning of "Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" being a perfect example of how he melds genres. "One & the Same" is a blues rocker too but of the George Thorogood sort and "Solid Ground" finds Knowles playing trebly lead guitar and crafting a great vocal hook on the cut that also features lurking organ fills from Andrew Toombs. "Hell to Pay" is a mid-tempo blues that leans toward R&B and "Wake Me up When the Nightmare's Over" is a Springsteen-like rocker where sharp-eared listeners will hear a little Billy Squier guitar homage on the intro; the set ends with the reflective acoustic guitar number "If I Ever Meet My Maker." Knowles has once again come up with a very listenable set of mostly self-penned tunes.