Artist:
RYAN CABRERA
Label:
PAPA JOE RECORDS
Video:
“SAY”
Director:
Slim Daddy
Add Date:
May 2, 2008
Hello music video programming friends, it’s Andy Gesner and the staff from HIP Video Promo, here with a fresh sound from a famous face. You know about the Top 40 hits, the high-profile entertainment news stories, the MTV reality program, the legion of adoring fans, the certified-gold discs, and the worldwide fame. But before Ryan Cabrera was a commercially successful pop idol, he was a well-respected young indie artist making music in Dallas. His first band was a popular attraction on the Texas club circuit, and Elm Street, his debut album, was funded out of his own pocket. It’s arguable that the singer-songwriter has always been more comfortable under the stagelights than he has been at the television studios and movie sets. Even when the irresistible “On The Way Down”, “Forty Kinds Of Sadness” and “True” were riding high on the Billboard charts, many sharp pop culture observers were able to discern that Cabrera was much more than just a good-looking face and a winsome voice. When John Rzeznik was brought in to co-produce the bestselling Take It All Away, it was more than just a fortuitous arrangement – Cabrera has always aimed to create the sort of timeless, emotionally-resonant pop music that the Goo Goo Dolls have always made.
Now, on his fourth full-length – and his principled return to independently-released music – Ryan Cabrera has realized that vision. The Moon Under Water is a pop album, but it’s a multifaceted one: elements of classic rock, dance-rock and R&B, adult contemporary, confessional singer-songwriter music and traditional folk have all been tucked into these songs. Cabrera is singing better than ever, too, and given the freedom to follow his impulses, his performances here are generous, vital, and crackling with live energy. “Say”, the lead single, is, among other things, a declaration of the artist’s independence: its direct, warm, and immediate sound will be familiar to Cabrera’s many fans, but he’s imbued the track with a newfound rawness that’s positively electrifying. Here’s a song of escape and redefinition, and an accusation hurled at those who resist change. When Cabrera sings about catching a late train and finding a new beautiful town, it’s a celebration of his fruitful decision to go his own way. “Don’t think”, he says, as he catches himself worrying about the future, “just play”.
Ryan Cabrera’s performance skills have never been in question – few pop singers of any age are as videogenic as he is. (Those accustomed to his prior reality-TV “look” may be taken aback by his long curls, but he’s never seemed as comfortable in his own skin as he does in the “Say” clip.) Cabrera is one of those special artists who commands the attention of the camera, and dominates every frame he graces. That said, in the “Say” video, he gives plenty of screen time to his crack backing group. He leads the band through a spirited set in a hip New York City bar, and the enthusiastic audience reception – folks are, by the end of the clip, jumping up and down as they might at a punk show – feels genuine. But following your own muse comes at a cost, and Cabrera must deal with the usual indie hazards: hipster arrogance, scenesters, bouncers disapproving of his guerrilla marketing attempts. The message here is clear: Ryan Cabrera is back to the underground and the lifestyle – and sound – that suits him best.
It is a terrific pleasure for us to have the opportunity to work with the entire Papa Joe Records’ team to bring you this exciting new clip. They have been kind enough to hook us up with some copies of the “Say” single, so if you’d like to get your hands on some copies for your on-air giveaway needs, please drop us a line. If you need more info, call Andy Gesner or Rob Fitzgerald at 732-613-1779 or e-mail us at info@HIPVideoPromo.com.