Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

The assertion of being the Last Western Cowboy might be a stretch but should be no doubt whatsoever that the raw talent that resides in John T. Davis beautifully crafted album sits deep in the heart of the American Mid West and smokes its fortune, shoots its excellent lyrics deep into the heart of the listener and for all intense purposes Mr. Davis becomes a most wanted man.

Last Western Cowboy proves that it is never too late in life to do something new, that to be known for one thing in a different section of the arts should not preclude or stunt the desire to put words down in a different format and ask the listener to open their hearts and their minds to a fresh way of thinking.

For many who grew up in the child-driven aftermath of post-war television and film, where the heroes of the day were the likes of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, the stranger only known as Shane, the gambling man Brett Maverick, the passion for such people and the long open prairies of the United States has never diminished, the smell of the Colt 45, the adventures of Natty Bumppo (Hawkeye) and the history of a great nation in its infancy and before the world became a darker and more devious place, all grabbed the attention of those who didn’t want British drama, the austerity of imagination; the excitement came from America’s deep and fruitful past.

In Last Western Cowboy, the Belfast born film maker takes his passion along a dusty but well signposted road and urges those travelling along with him to feel the world differently, to step back in time to a place which showcased the Country style and which in the stories he weaves are amusing, sensitive, sometimes verging on the spiritual and of a particular place in Time which has not just been lost but seemingly abandoned, John T. Davis channels a set of songs which are considered and musically rugged.

Tracks such as Day Away, Gas Station Hoses, Loved Boy Blue and the excellent Last Chance To Dance all spur the listener on and with great musical contributions from the likes of John Fitzpatrick on fiddle and Mudd Wallace on baritone guitar, Last Western Cowboy is a tremendously enjoyable album which the listener cannot help but feel privileged to hear.

Full of rugged strength and powerful purpose, Last Western Cowboy is a dream come true, the expanse of the recording is not lost on the listener and is a colourful delve into the minds of one of Belfast’s greatest sons.

Ian D. Hall