A British Columbian exiled to the big sky of the Alberta prairies, Ryan’s story reads like the prelude to a Cinderella story: the aspiring musician who works nights to support his family while trying to complete a university degree. And while his music is a side project in the sense that Ro is a family-first man, it’s not a side project in any other way, unless one understands “side project” as close by his side.
Inspired by the melodic guitar-driven alt-rock of the ‘90s, but tempered with a twenty-first century flavor, At Last My Dear is the culmination of fifteen years of song-writing across ten songs in thirty-three minutes. From the light hearted, head-bobbing tracks of “Holly Golightly,” “Melancholy Green,” and “A Red-Eye Lullabye” to alt-rockers “True Love” and “Say Anything,” to the quiet reflective meditations of “Sunday Dress,” “Hey Graceful,” and “Glory, Glory,” and finally the epic conclusion of “Amen,” At Last My Dear is a journey of progressive emotions, from the sublime to the sentimental, from pissed off to playful. Produced by Nathanael Sterr (Crown For Ashes, Reject), and mastered by TW Walsh (David Bazan, Sufjan Stevens), At Last My Dear is a very human album that, despite containing lyrics that are deeper than the average pop fare, still has hooks to sing along to in the choruses.
In short, it’s music to share. In his live shows, Ro fills in the gaps between the songs, telling stories, allowing the audience to see the emotions that go together with the sound. Whether he’s backed by a full band or playing solo with just his acoustic, Ro’s shows promise to be an accessible, intimate experience.
Ryan Ro has been listening to the music of At Last My Dear for over a decade; now it’s time for the rest of us to hear it too.
[…] Ryan Ro […]