David Wolfenberger “Portrait of Narcissus” (Fundamental 2006)

Forget the Creekdippers, Wolfenberger flies on his own.

Opening with warm tones of organ and a soft shuffle, the relationship with Mark Olson seems like it might dominate this record, but fear not for Wolfenberger is very much his own man and a great deal more than the sum of his influences. You can hear the white boy spiritual pop of Todd Rundgren in the voice and in the lush arrangements and it is distinguished on many tracks by the excellent pedal steel of Josh Grange. The steel is absent from the opening ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ which is dominated by AM friendly keyboards and sounds like a refugee from an earlier time where earnest young men tripped out, made love and generally enjoyed themselves. His twisted take on writing is illustrated on ‘Freezin’ Walt Disney Blues’ which mixes classic Brill Building songwriting, a melody, a theme, a hook and gloriously a melancholy sentiment, great lyrics and lashings of pedal steel. He can be very sardonic at times - ‘Inconsolably Overjoyed’ is gorgeous and warm like the first hot day of spring cut through with cynicism. For a lot of these songs you can imagine him alone at the piano, playing, eyes closed, oblivious to the world letting the music flow out of him.

And flow it does - in the centre of the record are ‘See the Evening Star’ which is how My Morning Jacket will eventually sound when they reach maturity, the lead played on a sitar for an exotic feel, and then comes my favourite with piano, banjo and guitar taking a walk across a summer meadow, the kind of summer that defines you and changes everything, a ‘Cicada Summer,’ the banjo plucking and chirruping around the chorus like the titular insects as he tells the tale beautifully. Nothing else quite reaches those peaks and it would be churlish to expect more. Even so, ‘When Everything is Over’ is a lovely song that he performs on his own, seemingly a window open to the world, his voice hovering in the air like the sounds of a summer evening though the subject matter is melancholy. This is the kind of record that fortifies you, the kind of thing that you are glad to have come into contact with.

Date review added:  Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Reviewer:  David Cowling
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist Website