The cliché about a specific genre of country music songs being exclusively sad stories of down-and-out regular folks struggling with love, truck, dog and gun troubles is not entirely without merit. The reality, of course, is more complex and fans with a sense of humor can laugh that off knowing the upper echelon of country singer-songwriters capture blue-collar tales with all the grit and detail of well-established storytellers like Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash. Ward Davis is one of those artists. He lived the rollercoaster ride of the Nashville machine for 15 years before striking out on his own, and boy, does he have stories to tell. His most recent album “Black Cats and Crows” displays a maturity and confidence honed over years of brief highs and longer lows.