Ryanhood - Under the Leaves (2021)

Like a lot of musicians, Ryanhood is a band that started playing on streets. Fortunately for them, a booking agent saw them perform at Quincy Market in Boston. Shortly after that, the duo found itself in demand on campuses across the country. For the last decade, the band has shared the stage with artists such as Jason Mraz and Train.

The new album Under the Leaves is an introspective search for meaningful change in a tumultuous world. It can best be summarized by the line “the only revolution is the one within” from the song “The Fight”.

As you progress through the album, you realize why Ryanhood has been named both Best Rock Band and Best Folk Band in Tucson. A lot of the album shows the band’s folk side while “The Fight” and “Seeing in the Dark” show the band’s rock side. Not that you will confuse it with Foo Fighters or anything, but these are definitely more rock than folk. “Seeing in the Dark” even has a slight alt-country feel with the spacey guitar sound.

“I Didn’t Have the Chance” is a subdued song where the vocals at the beginning are whispered. It has the feel of a song from a Bruce Springsteen solo album.

Did you ever have a roommate whose music collection was filled with obscure instrumental albums? And any time you would take the time to listen to one of them, you would hear something incredible? Well, “Appy Returns” is a song like you might have found in that roommate’s collection. Ryan David Green and Cameron Hood really show off their chops in this one. Even if you’ve never attempted to play guitar, you can appreciate the picking on this tune.

This is a well-crafted album. The melodies are rich and layered with guitar and strings. It is the perfect album to accompany your morning coffee, especially on a weekend when you have nothing on the calendar.