Donovan Howard is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist born in a small town of South-East Kentucky. After performing in several bands, he began a solo career and released two LP albums in 2018, “Made in the USA” and “This Old Guitar & Me” and a great single, “Sinner & Saint“, in 2019.
Two years after his first albums, the Kentucky native artist released a third LP, “Time“, last month, that shows his taste for real country music and gives evidence of some of his major influences: Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark or Merle Haggard.
Just listen to “Hard Lesson to Learn“, one of the best songs on this album, and you’ll know that Donovan Howard has a real talent for songwriting. This beautiful ballad is also a great storytelling about life, the mistakes that one can make and how we can learn about them.
“Always in my heart” is a great honky tonk song, catchy and beautifully written, about a man who left a woman because “two wrongs don’t make a right“, but suffers because she’s always in his heart.
“Now my clothes are laying on me like a worn out flag, waiting on the wind.
In my mind, I wish I’d never burned that bridge that leads back tou you again“
The title track song, “Time“, is a beautiful ballad, with Donovan Howard thinking about life and time that “can change most anything” and “heal a broken heart“.
“The Bible and the gun” is a great song with excellent songwriting and great harmonica, about the singer’s grandad, a traveling preacher who “kept a cap & ball 44 under his coat, cause some folks will never change“.
“Old Fat Country” is an amazing tribute to those outlaw country kings who Donovan Howard grew up with.
“I cut my teeth on Bocephus, all his rowdy friends
Waylon, Willy, Cash and Chris, I loved those Highwaymen
Don’t forget about Paycheck, DAC or the Charlie Daniels band
and the Pride of the south Lynyrd Skynyrd, everybody shout Amen“
I also appreciated a lot “The Last Alcohol“, a catchy song with such a good songwriting.
Y’all should listen Donovan Howard because his music is authentic and his songs are about real life. That’s what country music is all about! He’s a great instrumentalist ans singer and a very talented songwriter.
Nicolas Davelu
Country Music France 