David Vandervelde
(Secretly Canadian)
Beside the bed, a bearded longhair sits, a vase of flowers on the nightstand. You can tell what David Vandervelde is after from the picture on his album sleeve. Not sex (although that may come later) so much as the sensitive songwriters vibe of the ‘70s. And sure enough, the music follows suit, from the opening track, "I Will Be Fine," which rocks like vintage Carole King as filtered through the Jayhawks at their prettiest. It's a soothing melody, some bittersweet piano, a strumming acoustic guitar and words that start off sweet and reassuring but cut to the chase as he pursues a neighbor with "Nobody wants to be a stranger/ Have me now or you can have me later."
OK, maybe sex is what he's after. But it's really pretty as seduction ballads go, especially compared to "Lollipop" or "Let's Pretend We're Married." "California Breezes" ventures even deeper into Jayhawks territory, its breezy alternative-country flavor tugging at the darkness of the lyrics. The opening line is "there is guilt behind every door," and it only gets darker from there. Most tracks, in fact, are darker than they sound, from the cheater's lament "Hit The Road" to "Need For Now," with starts off with an aching "now I know that you're the one for me" before taking it out at the knees with a cold "though nothing last forever."
It's that willingness to own up to the bastard love can be that keeps his pretty voice from drifting off into the realm of easy listening.
Standout Tracks: "I Will Be Fine," "California Breezes" A. WATT
