Ryan Cassata - Catcher in the Rye [Music Video Review]

March 30, 2020 Travis Erwin

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Dylan, Guthrie, Petty, Isbell. Elements of these great songwriters, and others, come through in the vulnerable raw lyrics of Ryan Cassata. The melody too has been created to covey the inner thoughts of this talented artist. Sure the masters of the craft have influenced Cassata, but I would be remiss not to proclaim the individuality as well. 'Catcher in the Rye' is a song about falling in love after a traumatic past filled with violent hate crimes and bullying in Cassata's conservative hometown on Long Island. Cassatta explained more by saying 'In this music video, I go back to my hometown (Bay Shore, NY) and visit some of the places that hurt me the most as a young queer/trans person.' The video is bleak in the gray tones, but in the words there is a hope, a spirit that is part defiant and part relief, a sense of I've survived and now it is my time to thrive. This recording was done live, without embellishments or retakes and this fact only adds to artistry as we listen to a true songwriter bare their soul.

Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)