Clayton Gardner: Against The Grain

When Clayton Gardner named his new CD Against The Grain, he wasn’t kidding.

He needed something to offer audiences, and for on-line purchases. So the College Station, Texas artist took a look at the instrument-filled, mega-produced recordings on the market. He decided to take a radically minimalist approach, as the solo folk and jazz artists from days gone by would do with their coffee house recordings.

Clayton gives us a listen to a short set on this six-track EP. His often-mournful songs are accompanied by one guitar, sometimes joined by a fiddle, a backup-singer and a guitar solo.

If that’s not against the grain…well.

We are in extreme Nick Drake-soloist territory in these performances, with no room for guesswork or second chances. Clayton pulls it off very well on all six of his compositions.

Of the two toe-tappers on this EP, Roll The Dice hints to listeners that his songwriting has arrived, even if the studio full of band members and high-powered producers haven’t gotten here yet.

“We won’t look past the night,” he says. “Baby, what do you say we roll the dice?”

Roll ‘em!

And if you're in Aggieland around Bryan or College Station, Texas, be sure to check Clayton's Web site to find where he's performing. He's almost always playing somewhere in the area.