Released: 04/04/2011


Released On: Dram Records


Singer-songwriters.  There's not exactly a shortage of 'em, and every year we get one or two that burst through and make the leap from generally pretty good and pretty nice with occasional moments of emotional affectation.  For this you can read your Sufjan, your Bon Iver, your Tallest Man.  This year it looks like Josh T.Pearson is a shoo-in to be the one cited in lists galore come December, whilst commercially Marcus Foster has the goods to ride the Communion wave all the way to the hearts of the Home Countries.

So do we think David J Roch is likely to be a name that unimaginative reviewers like yours truly are citing when eviewing next years influx?

In a couple of words, probably not.

The not very nice bit out of the way, lets instead focus on what Roch has got going for him.  First up: tunes.  The man has an undeniable ear for one, a big fucking one at that. In Evil's Pillow Roch has a song born to soundtrack Grey's Anatomy.  Of course you may view this as a negative, but to deny the power of its “I won’t let you take this love from my heart” chorus is to admit that you probably don't like summer and, very possibly, have recurring dreams about maiming small fluffy things.  The strings are huge, his Celtic voice hovers above it and as one we all think “no.  You must not let that nasty lady squirrel your love away David.  You stick to your guns and write an inspirational song about it.”

It’s not all big as brass though, and meanders along at times with fairly nondescript  efforts like Lonely Unfinished, in which David can sound a bit, well, woofty.  He’s undoubtedly got a "nice" voice, one that I could never even aspire to match, but it can come across as a too earnest attempt to ape the younger Buckley’s slower moments.  The problem is, disregarding the fact that Jeff was most definitely a phase driven by an embarrassing emotional carousel of young love and heartbreak, he most definitely was a bit special; lyrically, musically and in terms of a voice. Roth would no doubt admit this, as he would also surely admit that he doesn't quite reach his heights.

Only Love is an improvement and benefits from strings, whilst Dew is a darker effort where we get exposed to Roth singing with more intent, before a mini-funk breakdown at the end which is both unexpected and welcome.  The title track, like Evil's Pillow, is good once it gets going though you have to go through some pretty-but-piddly harmonies before we get to the chorus ("don't bore us," etc).  It gets forgiven though, as it has some pretty major trumpet tooting which will have eyes closing and fists clenching during his live shows,.

All round, then, pretty good but not much to get too excited about. Potential lurks in him, however, and one suspects that live will be where he translates best.



6/10

 

Posted In Album Reviews, Apr 06 2011. Words - Jimbo