Atlantic/Lava 83033-2. 12 Tracks. Total Time: 39:56. Category: Pop, Rock/Pop. Released 1998. Widely available. http://www.atlanticrecords.com. Overall Rating: *** 1/2 out of ***** (Above average to well-above average album).
Davíd Garza has been poking around Austin for a few years, leading in the band Dahveed. This is the first major release for this Texan. This album makes me euphoric! Garza is fantastic in his ability to pull in a little bit of everything from every corner of the pop world. I hear little pieces from McCartney, E.L.O., Lou Reed, maybe Buddy Holly, and even a few touches of rap here and there. I've heard others compare him to Beck with perhaps a little more Beatles thrown in. I might buy that. And Garza clearly draws from that post-grunge sort of thing that Beck's got going. But Garza clearly seems more comfortable with the standards of pop. His voice can certainly handle it, emotional and melodic, but always carrying that rock edge.
This album is lush, and the production quality is outstanding. If you're into pop, this is a definite "gotta have." It goes from a grindy guitar-laden "Kinder" with its E.L.O.-like vocal chorus to the dreamy, croonish "Flower," with lots of stops in-between.
I only wish that the lyrics were printed on the inside of the liner. Instead you get a artsy cover with only small quotes from the lyrics.
Reviewed 24 August, 1998. HTML edited 17 August 2001.
Overall rating: ***
0 *'s Peeyew!
* Well below average. Makes a good coaster.
** Just below average.
** 1/2 Average disc.
*** Above average.
**** Well above average
***** The world would halt if this disk didn't exist.
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