Ryan Driver is a Toronto-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His song Blue Skies Don’t Care was on a playlist created by Tamara Lindeman sometime in late 2017. At the time I was madly obsessed with the self-titled The Weather Station album (and still am of course, it’s the best album of recent years) and therefore I took a close look at the playlist. Several of the artists already had a place in my heart, but the new to me song that I fell in love with was that Ryan Driver song and it led me to buying the Who’s Breathing? album. Around the same time I found out there’s a new Ryan Driver album Careless Thoughts coming out and the lead track even featured The Weather Station. It was a start of a rather long wait, because while it did come out in Canada in 2017, the worldwide release took place yesterday 23rd of February. These different release dates are somewhat annoying for music addicts like yours truly, but if they do benefit the artist and/or label, then it’s all good and my mild annoyance is completely irrelevant.
Anyway, long story short, Careless Thoughts is a unique, dazzlingly beautiful album and it’s so easy to get lost in its elegant jazzy wonders. It’s often on the edge of my comfort zone and you don’t usually find me raving about delicate piano-driven songs. Still there’s something here that really appeals to me and I think that the music of Ryan Driver might eventually convince me to take even further leaps into new horizons and I’ll end up in some enchanting avant garde neighborhoods. Careless Thoughts might be the perfect gate for such an adventure, because it’s definitely challenging, but still not too complex for someone like me whose common music listening consists of three minute pop songs and country ballads. Such a fascinating and beautiful record. Careless Thoughts is now out and available on Tin Angel Records.
