Sunday, January 4, 2015

David Corley's Available Light

God, I love indy music! David Corley's debut album at age 53, Available Light, reminds me why. Late bloomers are the best. Take it from Buddy Beaverhausen.

Corley's baritone voice is on the corner of Tom Rush Street and Tom Waits Avenue, right off Bluegrass Boulevard and Lou Reed Road. The songs (all written by Mr Corley) bring me back to my early-'70s folkie/college days with their mellow melodies and vocals.

There's not a badly written or blandly conveyed track on this cd. Everything comes across with a savory, experienced and confident vocal style from this Indiana native. Back-up girls Kate Fenner and Sarah McDermott provide a delightful support and counterpoint to Corley's voice.

The album is immediately engaging with its first track, the title tune. "The Joke" is a nice, upbeat number that stands out on this collection. Corley can distinctly provide a clever turn of phrase or two, as in "The End of the Run," when he sings "I can justify the ends but I don't know what that means." The artist says his songs were inspired by his dreams and by the written words of James Joyce, Walt Whitman, William Blake and others. The lyrics, certainly, have a very literate and dignified quality, not frequently found in today's pop music. A little more variety in the music would have enhanced the listening experience.

Produced by Hugh Christopher Brown, Light is available on iTunes, Amazon and Cd Baby. I expect to see Colby's show at the new Living Room, in Brooklyn (January 13). (If Beaverhausen can't go to the Lower Eastside, the Lower Eastside comes to Beaverhausen.) Special thanks to Bernadette Quigley.

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