Over three years in the making, this album from midwesterner Ryan Davis’ State Champion project is now ready to be savored by the public.  Before getting into the music, let me share a bit of the label’s writeup on this release:  “Having created a sound that is a product of its upbringing, with Sweetheart of the Rodeo on the radio, Bleach in the tape deck, and a Smog song stuck in its head, State Champion drives through forty minutes of sincerely howled, sloppily executed, stripped down garage-country on its full-length debut.” Basically, that shit is completely spot-on.  “Stale Champagne” is drenched with so much more soul than any modern country music, it’s absurd.  In the same way that something like Mayer Hawthorne has so much more life than the modern R&B on the radio, this is miles ahead of any “country” you’ll be seeing on CMT anytime soon.  Cut with a decidedly alternative edge, this is western music you can actually be proud to listen to, not cowering in fear that someone will discover it in your collection.  It is limited to 500 copies on clear vinyl, includes a CD, comes in a beautiful gatefold jacket, and is only $15.  The pressing sounds great, and is well worth your dough.  Visit SophomoreLoungeRecords.com.

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