Southern Rock Pep Talks and Yee-Yee Trucks: Beaumont Native Ryan Gist Offers an Authentic Meditation on Aimlessness, Artistic Stagnation, and Creative Perseverance

Ryan Gist isn’t afraid to confront the building sense of angst and gnawing nihilism of socially-contracted time. In the first notes of ABOVE THE WATER, Gist’s latest EP, I nearly hallucinated a teenage alienation montage on my own CW primetime series. That is, the tone of the record is a mixed bag of melodrama and genuinely poignant observations set to grungy electric guitars and blues rock lead lines. The record feels hackneyed at times but is ultimately pretty affecting, if only because of the conviction with which Gist delivers his lyrics.

Gist tackles the universal themes of alienation, aimlessness, artistic stagnation, radical acceptance, and creative perseverance with conviction and abandon. Artistry demands a certain kind of aimlessness and rebellion that is difficult to commit to in youth and becomes harder to maintain with age. It’s tough to stay curious and inventive when the realities of adulthood hit. Gist expresses a desire and drive to recover that imaginative impulse sans naivete. After all, “wonder just don’t pay the bills.” The record is a lamentation for the metaphysical losses maturity presents and a pep talk for the waning creative.

I’d be lying if I said the instrumentation is inventive; however, the music sticks closely to tropes native to the classic rock canon, and Gist still pulls it off because his proficiency indicates devotion. I can’t question his sincerity or criticize his passion. Ryan Gist is not afraid of tropes; rather, he embraces them with an endearing audacity. And he demands that same radical authenticity from his peers stating, “Sit down and be sincere, or I won’t play no more.”

His writing is strongest when he takes an observational stance from the perspective of a creative who has been part of the scene long enough to move through several cycles of jadedness and reinvigoration. Sometimes, he gets preachy, casting too wide a net with platitudes distilled into predictable rhyme schemes, such as “thirst for truth/search for youth.” I have to give him credit for having the guts to release a track with the liberal use of the phrase “on and on” in 2021.

At his best, Gist’s emphatic vocal performances sound bluesy and spiritual. For example, with the powerhouse harmonies on TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCE, he sounds like Hozier holding an ad hoc church concert attended by a group of moshing screamo kids – and that’s a good thing. The anthemic chorus on the title track is ripe for a local rager at Band Nite or a Spring DIY set at The Texas Rose Saloon or the Logon Cafe. I’m envisioning myself among fellow ragamuffin townies toasting cheap beers and yelling the lyrics along.

PEPPER GRASS AND PLUTO WATER has some of the most incisive observations on the record, and the push-pull cadence of the verses had my synapses firing off a pretty alarming “fuck yeah!” reaction that i can only attribute to core memories involving Nickelback. This is also a plus in my book, for who among avocado-stuffed, ingrate millennials can claim a coming-of-age narrative that is totally Nickelback free? My favorite track might be Gist’s hymn-like cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel,” in which two guitar lines weave a gorgeous acoustic nest for the classic pastoral lyrics, drawing out a rootsiness in the harmonic structure reminiscent of The Doobie Brothers or The Band.

The lowest points of the record occur when the mix doesn’t synthesize and the guitar overwhelms the vocals. Overly spacious production detracts from appreciating the quality of Gist’s writing and the authenticity of his delivery at times. Gist has a knack for melody writing, but sometimes wears out great musical phrases through repetition. I’d like to see him expand his melodic skillset with more variety. Gist hasn’t fully synthesized his influences yet, but each track teases a more fleshed out sound, any of which could be THE sound – that is, HIS sound. With perseverance and refinement, Gist has the raw material for a genuine, homegrown sound. If his lyrics are any indication, this won’t be the last we hear from him. He’s right in his observation: “If anything, you should fight for the future/there’s always days that are brighter and newer/and nothing can stop you the second you’re over the hill.” With the release of an EP eight years in the making, he ultimately seems to be wondering whether the moment of judgment will leave him with satisfaction or ruin.  Either way, his music is offroading – and Gist’s audience can either hitch a ride on the proverbial yee-yee truck or take a hike.