Album Review: Noctalgia by Melanie A. Davis
Sometimes you walk around town enough and fate steps in your way. You went left instead of right and old Bob Jacobs gets a piano dropped on him instead of you. Maybe you went right instead of left dodging the kitchen store where Gladys McKinley was struck by an exploding CO2 canister sending her to the curb where a car driven by a part time clown struck her causing Gladys to be a quadriplegic.
The night sky, the winds, maybe a little magic on Samhain; I went straight instead of turning and landed at a little record store named Wits End, owned by Tim Peyton in the cute college town of Murray, Kentucky. This is where I saw Melanie A. Davis and her band playing her breathtaking brand of folk and Jazz.
Davis may not be a household name yet, she is not a stranger to the music scene. Noctalgia is her fourth full-length album. She is a multifaceted talent writing for publications such as American Songwriter, VICE, and working for her local NPR affiliate WKMS. This is her first appearance in Gonzo Today. Again, gotta love fate.
Noctalgia
As I said before, Noctalgia is Davis’ fourth full-length album. It is also the first album she’s done that features her full band, The Madness. The album was released back in November of 2024. You might be wondering about the title of the album. Noctalgia as I’ve come to understand is a term coined by astronomers Aparna Venkatesan and John C. Barentine.
The term Noctalgia means “sky grief” according to her “thank you” notes inside the album sleave. It goes on to explain that is “used to define the feelings associated with the accelerating loss of the home environment of our shared skies.”
The album opens with the song “People Are Dying to Get in Here, You know.” It is the perfect opener with its tongue in cheek approach and 1950’s doo wop music approach. It is delightfully dark and light at the same time. With lyrics like:
“Could you maybe prop my feet up toward the riverbend? Keep the dirt nice and loose so I can pretend to tiptoe on spun sugar clouds.”
“How cruel to die when they ran out of all the places to go.”
The title track “Noctalgia” is a wonderful example of her folk/jazz roots prevailing. The guitar hook is a mastery of putting a little stank on it, not overused, but perfectly fit into the melt of the mix.
The other song that needs a mention is “Clowns.” The song’s music is playful and sets a beautiful tapestry for the lyrics to dance through. People that suffer from Coulrophobia (fear of clowns) need not worry. It isn’t that kind of song.
Davis is poetry in motion. She embodies what good art is, proving that AI music artists need to push up a few daisies.
Davis is a true composer reminiscent of Tori Amos with twinges of Frank Zappa fill work like in “Clowns.” Her true superpower lies in imagery. The lyrics and music marry one another in a heavenly mold.
Track List:
- People Are Dying to Get in Here, You Know
- Noctalgia
- Clowns
- Tinseltown
- Ursa Major
- Stars of Tucumcari
- Ursa Minor
- Golden Lasso
- Flowers
- Michelle