After launching his career as a blues singer,
Tyrone Davis helped usher in a new era for Chicago soul with his Dakar debut,
Can I Change My Mind, teaming with arrangers
Don Myrick and
Willie Henderson to create a collection of lilting, effervescent R&B grooves sweeter than sugar. Although entries like "Knock on Wood," "Slip Away," and "Call on Me" are rooted in the earthy, rough-edged traditions of Memphis soul,
Can I Change My Mind is strikingly urbane: with its loping rhythm, squiggly guitar licks, and buoyant horns, the smash title cut embodies the album in microcosm, but even the sad songs soar, lifted by the sheer vibrancy of the arrangements. And while you can pull the boy out of the blues, you can't pull the blues out of the boy --
Davis' poignant vocals wring genuine emotion from the lyrics but deftly avoid theatricality at every turn.