Not Lame is place where I drop names of pop greats to a knowing artist and allow the reader to make a connection an sound, an artist, a time in rock`s history and, then, make an informed decision about whether to `take a chance`. It`s always a joy when an artist like David England comes along and I can confidently present Marshall Crenshaw, Graham Parker, The Smithereens and early Elvis Costello as accurate touchstones for you to be empowered in that quest. "We namechecked Elvis Costello as an influence in the review above, but he definitely comes more to mind here in the sound of this Indiana native`s second album. England has a voice and a sound that could be described as the golden mean of Costello, Dave Edmunds and Graham Parker. Fans of those artists will love the Rockpile-like opener "You Don`t Have To" as well as "Don`t Go Back", which has a bit of a country touch a la Brinsley Schwarz. After those two fine opening tracks, the hits just keep on coming: "Catch Your Breath" sounds like King of America-era Costello, "Out of the Blue" sports a breezy pop melody, and "Not Today" introduces some jangle to the mix. It`s a must-have for fans of this classic style of power pop." - Absolute Power Pop Blog. "
England`s work is of a part with the roots-pop scene that dominated Bloomington music in the 90s, led by the major label flirting Mysteries of Life and the long-lived Vulgar Boatmen, characterized by a clean, often-acoustic driven sound that was middle-of-the-road without being MOR, with lyrics foregrounded and roots-rock elements incorporated with, usually, very little twang. As for other touchstones, England sounds quite a bit like Elvis Costello - his froggy, thick voice would sound imitative if not for the lack of an English accent - and his songwriting is in the school of clever wordplay and catchy choruses that brings to mind guys like Costello, Marshall Crenshaw and Freedy Johnston. Which is to say that you`ve probably heard something like Little Death before, but not often enough: tunes like "Catch Your Breath" and "Not Today" are memorable, almost-perfect pop songs with catchy choruses, well-placed background vocals and a slightly weary, knowing voice that offers wryness and honesty in just the right amounts." - Nuvo. VERY Highly Recommended!
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