Chris Ayer – Don’t Go Back to Sleep (Another Record Company)

Chris Ayer is a man out of time.  In the 60s, 70s or even the early 80s, he would have been huge.  Instead he has spent the past five years self-releasing some very tuneful folk-tinged pop music. 

He has a warm voice, an instinctive way with a pop hook and a self-effacing sense of humor in his lyrics (check out the new-millennium singer/songwriter lament “Roy G. Biv”).  He even won the John Lennon songwriting award in 2006 for best folk song. 

Don’t Go Back to Sleep is Ayers’ second full-length disk released (he’s also done several EPs) and it is chock full of catchy tunes.  Songs like “On Your Way,” “Awake” and “Pretty Poison Things” are definitely deserving of some airplay from some adventurous AAA DJs and “Say What You Mean” is one of the prettiest and most delicate nostalgic ballads of the year.

Ayer is easily as good as such better-known folk-poppers such as John Mayer and Jason Mraz – there has to be room for more than two singers of this type on the majors, doesn’t there?

Jay S.  Jacobs