Myspace or Yours #2: Ryan McCracken

I do so love it when someone really, truly enchanting comes my way through the sea of tripe that inhabits Myspace. Y’all will know exactly what I’m talking about, I suspect, when I say that there are rare moments when you come across a voice that totally captures your attention, totally takes you by surprise. As soon as I opened my friend request from Buffalo’s Ryan McCracken, I had this sensation of being utterly enraptured and completely beguiled. It wasn’t just my usual affinity for the lone wolf singer-songwriter, though I do admit my fondness for that very appealing pairing of a boy and his guitar. No, with Ryan it was different.

His voice is pretty darned incredible. It’s uniquely expressive, rich and warm, full of honeyed tones and heavy with theatrics. It’s seductive, off-putting, haunting, and amusing, and frequently all of the above at once. At times his guitar seems basic, though when he plugs in the songs taken on a singular beauty. But the guitar, be it acoustic or electric, is secondary, because with Ryan the voice is the real instrument here. It’s my opinion that Mr. McCracken is in possession of something very, very special indeed. I fully expect him to get better and better (and hopefully one of these days get his tour on, to include a stop in the greater Washington area).

Bottom line is that you might just want to check Ryan out. Oh, and bands, take note. You will absolutely get bonus points for making tying your music with a bow. Little details, with music and with mailings, go a long way.

mp3: Archers/On Guard (Ryan McCracken from Alive at Staples 5/20/2010)

mp3: Type A New York Neurotic (Ryan McCracken from Hey You 2)