Dave Beck has spent many years studying, writing and performing music, and having played in a handful of high school bands, he's now made the transition to solo artist for this, his debut album. Some of the arrangements are pleasant, in a subtle, delicate way, but - as on 'If You Build It' - they're countered by some awkward lyrics that reveal Beck's lack of experience as a songwriter, and that he's still learning his craft.
There are times when Beck's guitar playing sounds a little rudimentary, and, in conjunction with this rather wet-sounding vocal style, the overall effect is rather underwhelming. On 'Undecided Title,' when Beck sings 'I've got a lot of things not going my way,' it simply sounds like he's whining. It's hard to be sympathetic. There's no question that he's every inch the sensitive singer / songwriter type, but you just get wish he'd butch up a bit and quit whinging.
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But for all of his complaining, which is, in fairness, balanced by songs of joy, none of the songs soar, there's not enough contrast, and you don't really get a sense that young Dave has lived enough, hasn't experienced stratospheric elation or troughs deeper than the earth's crust, and therefore simply hasn't the emotional vocabulary to really forge an album that has the capacity to truly move or affect the listener.
Dave Beck Online
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