Tyler Ramsey » Turntablr

All Through The Night, Tyler Ramsey
In September I wrote about this song for Cover Me (you can check out the post here), and ever since then it has haunted me- never getting boring no matter how often I listen to it. There’s something astonishing about how Tyler’s guitar picking follows the core melody while simultaneously picking the bass line and adding pretty little flourishes, especially since this attached version was recorded live. His voice has a roughness to it that gives the performance a tear-jerking sense of emotional sincerity, making the romantic situation believable and real-sounding. The tempo and nocturnal imagery in the lyrics fit Tyler’s understated style perfectly, capturing the essence of the tune far better than Cyndi Lauper did on her more famous cover of this track. For all of its other merits, though, this song just has a gorgeous chorus. The melodic building and lyrical desperation captivate both the listener and performer, gripping our attention and provoking beautifully-strained wails from Ramsey. Also, even though the performance overshadows them for the most part, the lyrics of this track have a serene elegence to them that I really like.

We have no past, we won’t reach back, stay with me forward on through the night

Please Stop Time, Tyler Ramsey
In my last post I talked about a song that epitomized a specific feeling, and since writing that article I’ve heard a few more songs that specifically capture emotions. This one is the final track off Band of Horses guitarist Tyler Ramsey’s gorgeous solo album, and while it deals with an exceptionally complex situation, the simplicity of the music and the images of the first few verses serve as a musical definition for the word “peace.” It starts out with determined guitar notes that beat like a metronome, grounding Ramsey’s melodic guitar (which loosely follows the vocal melody) and his lyrics. The first three verses focus on absolutely stunning natural imagery, vividly painting the ocean, a sunrise and bird flight- some of the most awe-inspiring elements of nature. He also captures his visceral reactions to these beautiful scenes, associating them with moments of romantic intimacy. The song eventually reaches the main conflict, that the singer is planning to end the relationship even though it hurts to do so. Suddenly every guitar note is the tick of a clock, poigntantly counting down the final seconds of the relationship until the waves come and wash everything away. Its an unbelievably complex and difficult emotion to capture in lyrics, and Ramsey somehow nails it with his less-is-more approach. Its stunning and heartbreaking, but somehow fundamentally peaceful. Its an absolutely breathtaking peace of lyricism.

You see the ocean so close the waves break on our blankets and pillows