The Kinks mastermind Ray Davies has announced his first new studio album in over nine years. It’s called Americana, which takes its name from Davies’ 2013 memoir of the same name, and is due out on April 21st via Legacy Recordings.
Co-produced by Guy Massey and John Jackson, the 15-track album — and the first of two volumes due out this year, according to its press release — digs deep into Davies’ personal relationship with America, from his early salad days touring the States with The Kinks to his dour blacklisting by the American Musicians Union. One highlight is his duet with The Jayhawks’ own Karen Grotberg on “Message from the Road”.
We’ll have to wait to hear that one, but what we do have is a teaser track called “Poetry”. In this chapter, Davies questions the commercialized fruits of our country, as he sings: “I kneel down and say grace for the comforts the world bestows on me/ And the great corporations providing our every need/ And those big neon signs telling us what to eat/ And every shop window goods are designed to please/ Oh but I ask/ Where is the poetry?”
Stream the track below via NPR and consult the full tracklist.
Americana Tracklist:
01. Americana
02. The Deal
03. Poetry
04. Message From The Road feat. Karen Grotberg of The Jayhawks
05. A Place In Your Heart
06. The Mystery Room
07. Silent Movie
08. Rock ‘N’ Roll Cowboys
09. Change For Change
10. The Man Upstairs
11. I’ve Heard That Beat Before
12. A Long Drive Home To Tarzana
13. The Great Highway
14. The Invaders
15. Wings Of Fantasy
