Nestled somewhere off North Lamar and unbeknownst to my Google Maps, there is a a 5 bedroom house decorated with eccentric posters that the average soul would never come across.
At one point in time a Boys and Girls Club, but now the home of five dudes and their all too laid back kitten named Caligula, I can only describe this, “The Dude Ranch,” ahouse sitting on 20 acres, is an eclectic haven for creativity.
And though he’d probably humbly disagree, the thick-rimmed glasses wearing, whimsical genius and gracious host behind this unique space is one of Oxford’s most talented residents, Dent May.
Originally appreciated for the upbeat, wispy pop melodies and narrative lyrics that characterize his debut album, “The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele,” May has stayed true to his signature sound in his sophomore album, “Do Things.”
No complaints here, because who doesn’t want to listen to an album that can instantaneously put a smile on your face?
But my continuous reference to May’s song “Parents” this summer as my excuse for not wanting to grow up and face my last year of undergrad, quickly made me realize that I learned from May’s albums the importance of holding onto your youth.
May’s first album is a alarmingly accurate depiction of what being in Oxford has felt like the past 3 years.
Listen to “College Town Boy” or “I’m an Alcoholic,” and I feel that you will agree.
May’s sophomore album, “Do Things”, invokes the feelings of the summer that quickly fades from kiddy pools and day drinking to the rush of a new semester.
Though still young ,28, May is one of Oxford’s generators for encouraging the diverse musical scene here in what he would whole-hearted describe as “the coolest town in America.”
Between tours, global recognition and now the recent release of his third, and what I personallyconsider his best album yet, Warm Blanket, May has come a long way from when he got on this five year rollercoaster with just his ukulele in hand.
And fortunately for me, he was just as excited to talk about the album, as I was to formally meet the musician I had embarrassingly fan-girl’ed from across the City Grocery balcony too many times to count.
Being a fan of the first two albums, and now the third, I wondered why May might have moved away from the ukulele and have experimented. Granted this gives the album wider range, and a much more mature feeling, I wonder what was the intention.
“First of all moving away from the ukulele really got me exploring a lot of different sounds and instruments that I could play,” May reflected. “I went in the opposite direction. With the ukulele I was being minimal. Now I’ve embraced pop maximalism and cram all kinds of arrangements into them. And as far as the emotional tone of my songwriting, that just comes with getting older and just being aware of the horrors of existence and meaninglessness of our existence. But with my music… I try to make it fun. So it’s kind of like exploring why we’re here in a fun way, hopefully.”
And he does this, in my opinion, effortlessly. I quickly began to see that May’s “live in the moment” attitude not only shines through his simple yet all too relatable lyrics but also in his demeanor and outlook on living his life as an artist.
“I think my music is about embracing the negative and positive aspects of being alive and I want my album to being something that you can jam with your friends on a sunny afternoon or put some headphones on and kind of zone out,” May said.
“I just kind of want my music to do all of the above,” May says with a tone that could only have come from years of life experience and challenging himself in new ways.
May said the general difficulty of producing such a mature album is putting aside your self doubt.
“The hardest part is always the middle, where you’ve gotten started. It’s like you’re going then you panic and think ‘this is terrible,’ and that definitely happened two weeks into recording this album,” May said.
“It was more of a general feeling like questioning myself and thinking I’m not capable of making the classic album that I want to make. Most of the songs I had already written, but I needed one more banger, a song that I really believed in, that’s going to get me reenergized. Then I wrote and recorded “Born too Late” which is the first single from the album. The next night I tripped over my hard drive and lost half of the song I recorded. I think this improved the outcome of the song. I said, ‘this sucks but I’m going to make it even better than it was already.’”
May’s infectious positivity radiates through his music and his environment. This validates the motives behind his music and his creative process, which he puts ample amount of time into. Influenced by real relationships and real people May intentionally refrains from being too specific in order to allow his listeners to share a universal appreciation for his songs and May’s work as a whole.
The sincerity in May’s simple, yet refreshingly comforting lyrics, engulfs fans much like a warm blanket. The honesty he captures in “Endlessly” (which is my personal favorite), had me, being the hopeless romantic that I am, giddy to say the least. I was glad to learn that May agrees.
“One of my favorite ones is “Endlessly” just because it comes from a very pure place. I try to engage with emotions that every human goes through.”
May has managed to successfully straddle the fine line that I believe should be the ultimate goal of any successful artist: producing an intimate album reflective of their experiences and emotions, while also leaving considerable room for the listener to apply the lyrics to their own internal and/or external dilemmas as well as victories, of course.
The release party for “Warm Blanket” will be held at Proud Larry’s at 9:00.
Grab a blanket and a pal and watch the show.
