Wednesday 19 Jun
 
 

Superior sound

Em and the MotherSuperiors with Honeylark and Feathered Rabbit
10 p.m. Friday
Kamps 1310 Lounge
1310 N.W. 25th
kamps1310lounge.com
819-6004
$7

06/19/2013 | Comments 0

It might get loud

Okie Noise Fest 2 with Psychotic Reaction, Copperheads, Fire Bad! and more
3 p.m.-midnight Saturday
Bad Granny’s Bazaar
1759 N.W. 16th
free
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Fox news

Foxtrot Uniform with Them Hounds
9 p.m. Friday
Blue Note Lounge
2408 N. Robinson
thebluenotelounge.com
600-1166
$5

Foxtrot Uniform with Quaker City Night Hawks
9 p.m. Saturday
Grady’s 66 Pub
444 W. Main, Yukon
gradys66.com
364-8789
$7
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Sweet slumber

The technology boom of the last two decades has made life easier in a variety of ways. In the music world, widespread computer use has spawned a modern-day compositional renaissance.
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Beau bridges

Beau Mansfield Trio
10 p.m. Saturday
The Bluebonnet Bar
321 E. Main, Norman
447-2480
06/19/2013 | Comments 0
Home · Articles · CDs · Indie · Ryan Parker — In Circles
Indie

Ryan Parker — In Circles


Matt Carney December 7th, 2011  

About two-thirds of the way through “What Is Light,” the eighth track on Oklahoma City singer/songwriter Ryan Parker’s “In Circles,” a melodic, piano-driven, chorus-less series of verses gives way into a worldbeat rhythm that evokes a living-room drum circle. This is the part where he asks about the light.

Parker asks a lot of questions here in his debut, but judging by the crisp vocal harmonies (supplied by Brianna Gaither, Ali McIlroy and Amy Leming), chiming acoustic guitar chords and peppy percussion, he’s optimistic about the answers. “Just Because,” the disc’s shining love song, stands out in this regard. The jug-band bassline and handclaps makes it sound like it was recorded in a meadow on a springtime afternoon.

“True Be True” is another track to which I found myself returning. Those currently crushing on Idaho buzz band Youth Lagoon’s triumphant, drum-machine-assisted, squiggle-guitar jams immediately will recognize a striking, enjoyable similarity. The difference is in the careful vocal arrangement Parker’s given this one.

Per the title, a lot of his lyrics runs around in circles — they’re more existential bouts of wondering than stories — but they’re certainly very pretty, diverse circles, richly recorded with a nice, subtle echo coming off his voice when the arrangement goes sparse.

You can catch him live at 10 p.m. Friday at VZD’s Restaurant & Club, 4200 N. Western. —Matt Carney

 
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