Man With A Corduroy Heart - Weirdos

​Man With A Corduroy Heart

Weirdos
self-released; 2025

TOP ALBUM

​​By ​Dino DiMuro​

UK indie folk artist Ryan Davies fronts a band with a Beefheart-sounding name, Man With A Corduroy Heart. After releasing its debut album in 2024, the group has just dropped a follow-up album titled Weirdos.  

Davies calls him music “old school: a whimsical mix of modern indie folk and 70s rock & roll influences delivering quirky, relatable stories though witty and heartfelt lyrics.” Thematically the songs deal with the travails of life and love, absurd yet deeply bittersweet. The absurdity comes with Davies’ interest in the rhythms of standup comedy: “Not that the songs are strictly comedic, but I love the idea of writing stories with punchlines or unexpected turns at the end of verses.” Ultimately Davies is aiming to create a celebration of the human condition in all its imperfect glory.

Davies recorded and produced by himself, which he acknowledges is quite common nowadays, but in fact his day job is professionally mixing music for other acts, and his expertise shines through! 

“House To Myself” gets me right on Davies’ side with a country ditty about “having the house to myself this weekend” which he much prefers to parties or trips abroad. Though our narrator considers calling his wife to come back home, ultimately he goes with “taking off all my clothes… and finally watch The Sopranos.” Truly a man after my own heart! The music is crisp and upbeat, with Davies’ voice a friendly, accessible midrange. Next up, “I’m A Little Bit Short” is not an answer to Randy Newman’s “Short People” but is actually about being broke (another relatable tune, with quite witty lyrics). Davies calls it garage rock but I’m getting more of a Rickie Lee Jones “Chuck E’s In Love” vibe, crossed with “She’s Got The Devil In Her Heart”. The arrangement flowers with Beatle-like harmonies and a virtual orchestra of chiming guitars.

There’s a famous hit song titled “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore” but Davies take is a bit more lighthearted, musing that perhaps his loved one is avoiding him because he’s got holes in his underwear. Ultimately Davies concludes that relationships are better off “being grateful for what we have… I don’t want to be my Mom and Dad.” This track has the gloss of a classic 10cc tune. The title track “Weirdos” delves deeper into the arcana of long-term relationships with that amiable tongue-in-cheek humor we’re now familiar with. Some of the production recalls Jeff Lynne.

When I first saw the song title “Mrs Mariana” I thought it said “Mrs Marinara” (as in spaghetti sauce) but I wasn’t far off: his girlfriend’s Mom is Hispanic, but the song celebrates all the great cooking that may be the secret ingredient in their relationship. Great, twangy roots-rock riffs in this one. Another song I can relate to is  “LIfe’s Just A Little More Breezy” about how hard life is when you’re bald (I have long hair but am bald where it counts most!). I love the weight Davies throws behind this tune with its dramatically building arrangement, Dylan-like acoustics and celebratory dueling leads at the end.

Pure comedy music has never been my thing, but when a folksinger can blend humor with insight (think Loudon Wainwright) I quickly become a fan. That’s Davies’ thing too, and he does it amazingly well. Spin a sample track and see!

Become A Fan

manwithacorduroyheart.com

Tweet