CDs are constantly being released into the wild after much nurturing and care. And much as it is with the release of an animal, those who have cultivated the album are full of love and hope for what has been in their care for so long. The consuming, inspiring work is over, but the road still stretches out before the artist’s creation.

Matthew Ryan’s “Dear Lover,” which has officially joined the flock of the released, effuses that love and hope in every beat, phrase and melody in its Dylanesque tracks. A well-known and much respected Philly-born musician with a rich history in his craft, Ryan’s sound is every bit as Dylan as Dylan is himself (right down to the harmonica). And this assortment of anthems of life and love and hope and being who we are in our world today serves as proof that this guy knows how to raise tunes that are ready to fly off and survive on their own.

This certainly isn’t the first disk Ryan has released to the wild and we can only hope it won’t be the last. The continued evolution of the brilliant recordings species depends on it.

Special guests at the fete will be Garrison Starr and Luke Brindley. I’ve already gushed about Luke (here), so now I must dedicate some space to Ms. Starr. With her unique, bittersweet, folky, alternative sound, she’s a perfect addition to the heartbreaking elation of a CD release. Garrison’s expressions of those universal human things we all experience are definitely more sweet than bitter, and her melodies, while endearing, are never trite.

The celebration of the liberation of “Dear Lover” will be held at the Tin Angel on March 11th. With three amazingly honest artists, this evening promises inspiring flights all around. You will definitely want to witness Ryan’s release in its natural habitat and toast to its freedom flight as it makes its way toward the sunrise.

Thursday, March 11, 2010, 8:00pm
Matthew Ryan (CD Release) w/Garrison Starr and Luke Brindley
Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St, Philadelphia PA, 19106
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