- Bryon Harris
Derrick Davis - 'Gimme Back My Gun'
Singer-songwriter Derrick Davis is an emerging folk-rock artist to watch for. With a vast amount of musical influences, Derrick brings a truly fresh sound to the folk scene. Hailing from Austin, TX, Derrick’s music has taken his home town by storm and with singles like "Gimme Back My Gun," Derrick can go far.
"Gimme Back My Gun" features four band members: Derrick Davis (Vox/acoustic), Kyle Samuel (Electric Guitar), Matt Slagle (Bass) and Mike Ingber (Drums). It is an up tempo song utilizing memorable vocal melodies and fun instrumentals, making it a song that could easily make a splash in the folk world and appeal to general audiences as well.
The song begins with a short two bar intro. The first measure is solely acoustic, muted guitar and then on the second measure the rest of the band comes in, almost like brisk clapping, for one measure, before switching back to just acoustic guitar and drums for the first verse. This arrangement is very effective in immediately drawing you in and setting the vibe. The song builds up with the addition of electric guitar up until the second half of the verse when the full band arrangement comes in. The band plays with high energy making this a lively, fun, and very enjoyable tune that has a way of putting a smile on your face before you even know what you are smiling about.
“Gimme Back My Gun” is a song about wishing you could get back all the time and effort you put into a relationship after it's over. Derrick’s vocals are light and easy on the ear, the kind of vocals that come across as completely natural; his singing sounds so natural, it is though he is having a conversation with you. In the verses, Derrick sings about his heartache and give us more detail on his emotions with lyrics like, “I’ve had my heartaches/You top the list/Like the first time that we kissed/Upon the second/The second time we met/Like my past hadn’t caught up to you just yet.” Then in the chorus he goes on to sing, “So gimme back my gun/Gimme back my romance/Gimme back the time/That we used to slow dance on the back porch/Until the wee hours of the morning/It’s the hardest part about you a/Walking out the door. The down-to-earth, honest and reflective lyrics make "Gimme Back My Gun" a song that everyone will relate to.
About a minute and half into the song, there is a tasteful guitar solo that captures the overall vibe. Overall, the band nails the song by providing Davis with a musical landscape that is tight and polished; the band carries the energy from the first note to the last. Throughout the song, even though Derrick is singing about heartache and a lover walking out the door, the music makes you want to get up on your feet, clap along and smile. It is infectious and catchy, the stuff that hit material is born from. Derrick Davis is a talented artist with strong song-writing sensibilities and his single “Gimme Back My Gun” is sonic proof. Davis released his EP, “The Burnout,” in March 2016 and is currently working on releasing his next album that this single is from. For more information about Derrick Davis, visit his website.