There’s a certain amount of trepidation for me when I’m faced with reviewing a release with strong gospel influences. Not all such releases are alike, of course. Some performers working in that vein adopt strident and/or apocalyptic personas while a significant portion of their peers wear a much more inviting face. Vaughn falls into the latter camp, if any, because he doesn’t frame his spiritual beliefs in song as Polyanna-esque fare. Yes, sometimes he writes about heavenly concerns, but even his most poetic moments remain tethered to earth.
URL: https://www.holtvaughn.com/
It’s no slight to say so. Even non-songwriters will relate to the straightforward, conversational style of the title cut “These Songs”. Vaughn closes the distance between himself and the audience until its meaningless as there isn’t a single syllable of this track that differentiates between our shared bonds. It’s a very human song and written in realistic language. He favors a bluesy bite with the arrangement but underpins it with a strong foundation. Discerning listeners will hear how many of these songs first emerged if they pay attention.
“Woman of Light” has a much stronger guitar presence thanks to Will McFarlane. This superlative guitarist has made his name playing alongside Bonnie Raitt, among many others, and shares many of Vaughn’s convictions. Their simpatico point of view manifests itself here as fiery lead guitar giving this track a fierce glow. Vaughn’s vocal arrangement for “Unchained (Let My Spirit Be)” is the deciding factor for this track, but the musical contributions are important despite being comparatively minimal. He has an underrated sense for the poetic, as well, listeners shouldn’t overlook.
“Sparkle in Your Eye” boasts impressive guests. Respected musicians Rick Cua and Phil Keaggy are crucial cogs in this shimmering and deeply poetic work. Keaggy, the longtime creative force behind 70’s cult favorites Glass Harp, has an especially eloquent impact on the work. His lyrical guitar touches are only one facet of his unique gift and it’s particularly complementary with Vaughn’s work. “Tulsa, Oklahoma” is one of the album’s more secular moments. Vaughn constructs the song around the familiar blues songwriting pattern while avoiding excessive predictability – it’s no small feat.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/These-Songs-Vol-Holt-Vaughn/dp/B00V4HFXRI
“David Song” will surprise more than a few listeners. It’s an outright hard rock track mixed with more of the melodic work we’ve heard before from Vaughn, Keaggy, and Cua. The narrative strengths of the song are memorable, and the songwriting likewise does an excellent job establishing a character and distinctive “voice”. The quasi-folkie feel of “Hello Rain” is a 180-degree turn from the preceding track, but it doesn’t persist. Vaughn doesn’t resist the temptation to diversify the track with fiery salvos of electric guitar. He’s wheeled out all the firepower the song can handle by its conclusion and ends “Hello Rain” on an emphatic note. It may be one of the album’s sleeper gems.
“Where You Are” begins with some ghostly slide guitar searching for the song’s melody. It soon emerges and the song surges forward. His intelligence bringing together the slide guitar with jangling acoustic accompaniment hits the mark, but the real masterstroke is drafting vocalist Ashley Cleveland into service. She’s an excellent foil for Vaughn and helps him bring These Songs, Vol. 1 to a satisfying finish.
Chadwick Easton