Customer Reviews

Luxury of Time

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this disc without having had heard a note of it (or having heard of David Mead himself), based on a Washington Post review that my wife gave me to read, which related it as Britpop-sounding music from a Nashville alum. I'm completely unfamiliar with Mead's work with the band Joe, Marc's Brother, so I can't say what the musical leap was from that outfit to his solo debut, but whatever it was, it was good medicine. "The Luxury Of Time" is full of impeccable pop melodies.

Although this record runs dangerously close to being over-produced--it's as slick as an ice rink--I believe the super-clean sound ultimately works in its favor. The record opens with two dynamite midtempo numbers, the ultra-catchy "Robert Bradley's Postcard" and the slightly more sedate "Sweet Sunshine", the latter of which was made for convertible-cruising down open highways. And the beautiful "Breathe You In" is a track that, in a more just world, would have been a thousand lovesick couples' dedication song to one another. Much of the album comprises ballads (especially in the last half of the disc), many of which toe the line of complete schmaltz. The achingly lovely "Landlocked", for example, sounds as if it could have been plucked from a Broadway musical. But the songs are leavened by a wicked, sometimes perverse sense of humor (with a few dirty words) and Mead's wonderful voice. In an age where few new artists seem willing (or able) to write gorgeous, timeless pop melodies without roughing them up with samples and guitar noise for a more contemporary sound, "The Luxury Of Time" stands apart by embracing its tunefulness.

If you appreciate the music of Crowded House, or the post-punk output of XTC and Elvis Costello, then I highly recommend that you take this leap of faith. This is pop music for grown-up tastes, of the sort that hasn't found any airplay in this country since the eighties, and I truly hope it somehow finds its audience.

I've been looking forward to this CD for several months now, having seen him open for Liz Phair at a Lupo's show in Providence R.I. last May. And I'm happy to say, it did not disappoint me! Anyone like me who's a sucker for power-pop with that British Invasion influence will surely get a good fix off this record. With a polished sound that heralds back to some of the best Squeeze records, David delivers a one-two punch on such greats as Sweet Sunshine (with those great falsetto vocal touches), Satellite (including an unmistakable tribute to the Beatle's "Tomorrow Never Knows" drum riff) and Everyone Knows It But You (an anthem for the underappreciated- straight outta Marshal Crenshaw's head). Though not every song on the album rates a 5-star, I would recommend it to anyone who, like me, can't get enough of that stuff the Brits left behind...

In a year filled with great music releases, I have to look to David Mead as my favorite. His songs have a fabulous pop quality without being trite (think Squeeze, Elvis Costello). His voice has a range reminiscent of Tim or Jeff Buckley. Caught him perform at a small coffee shop in our neighborhood--this after having fell in love with the album. Every song was as masterful in person as it is on the album. Buy this. Play this. Love this.

A friend of mine gave this to me as a present. I like a really wide range of music from old country to some rap to punk to metal. I really try not to shut anything out and give everything a chance. As long as an artist puts their heart into it, I'm there. Even if I don't agree with what they're saying.

With David Mead, I let the cd sit in my truck about two weeks before I actually played it. Last Saturday, I was pulling another all-niter, working on a story that's been floating in my head for a while. On a break, I remembered the cd sitting in my glove-box and ran outside to get it. I put it in my cd drive with an open mind and sat back with a cup of coffee. What followed next was something that I didn't really expect.

Judging from the cover of the album, I kinda half-expected something to sound like Harry Connick Jr. or someting jazzy like that. What I got was a cd that was completely awesome all the way thru. I just couldn't (and still can't) get over how good it is. Over the course of that night, (I don't sleep a whole lot) I must have spun the album five times all the way thru. I kept listening to track one over and over. I was just floored by his lyrics and the way all of the songs came together. I had to be at work early that Sunday morning so when it came time to leave, I took it out of my computer and took it with me, listening to it during my commute to work.

It's been nearly a week and I have reccommended this to almost everyone I know (we talk a lot about music when work is slow). The cool thing about this is that it's accessable to almost anyone and the catchiness actually works with helping his lyrics shine even more. So, like I said, just give it a try and see what you think. I wish that I could compare him to someone but he's got a sound that's just all his own.

this is an incredible album. david mead is a terrific singer and songwriter, and he is great live. reminds me of the BEATLES. this is a must have, best album i've heard in years.

The Luxury of Time is an astonishing brilliant debut from David Mead. If nothing else, buy this CD for "Robert Bradley's Postcard" and "Touch of Mascara" -- these two songs are the ultimate road trip songs that you'll find yourself belting out on the interstate.

Every song on this release is a gem. From the infectious "Sweet Sunshine" and "World of a King" to the somber "Painless" and "Landlocked", it's apparent that David Mead is a brilliant singer/songwriter who doesn't conform to labels -- he just makes amazing music from the heart.

Mead's follow-up release, Mine and Yours, has a more intimate, sophisticated sound. Stylistically, it's a bit different from The Luxury of Time, but it's just as good. If you're a music afficionado of if you just like good, catchy music -- you need to add Luxury of Time and Mine and Yours to your music collection.

This album is sooooo good. As a musician David Mead is the complete package: he can play multiple intruments, sing like the finest crooners, write outstanding songs, and demonstrate wide versatility in his art. He is an excellent singer/songwriter.

This album has snappy, catchy pop songs (like Robert Bradley's Postcard, Sweet Sunshine, Touch of Mascara, World of a King, and Telephone) as well slow, melancholy ballads (i.e., Breathe You In, Landlocked, While the World is Sleeping, Painless). All songs on the disc are infectious. She Luisa is a pure delight. Make the Most Of is a unique blend of jazz and funk sounds with dreamy, unbalanced feel - in my view, this is the most challenging track on the disc for the listener, but it is also SOOOOO GOOD (I disliked the song at first listen but now I love it). Mead effortlessly slides in and out of his exquisite falsetto on many of the tunes.

I played the album for my mom the other day (who was a big Beatles fan in the 60's), and she remarked that Mead's voice sounds very much like Paul McCartney. I hadn't really thought of that before, but I have to say I agree. Mom immediately loved the album.

This disc is well worth the money. GO BUY IT!

God this is a sweet recording !!He sounds a little like everybody with those sweet soft tones,yet has his own distinct sound.If you like Art Garfunkle for example,you will like him.

Heard a cut from this album from our local new releases station. I literally combed music stores till I found it. I'm not a music fanatic but David Mead has some powerful things to say in the high impact styles of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

It's not hard to listen to David Mead's debut album, "The Luxury of Time", and imagine that you're hearing a longtime fan of pop music getting his chance to run wild in the studio. Lush arrangements draped with strings, sound effects, and backwards guitars drape unabashedly hooky songs that recall other popsters like Paul McCartney and Ron Sexsmith. Going back to that opening statement, it's really not hard to listen to "The Luxury of Time" at all. Mead has one of the best, smoothest tenors in pop music today, and he's not afraid to use it to dispell the belief that it's not cool to sing the high notes.

Besides Mead himself, the album has a number of strong points. At thirteen songs, around 52:00, it's just about the perfect length for an album in the CD age. Everything hovers around the three to four-minute mark. Mead also takes great care to make sure that the songs themselves are distinctive and different from one another, from the cinematic pop-culture ode of the title track, to the the barnburning faux-zydeco stomp of "World of a King", to the stripped-down, yet beautiful "Apart from You".

Mead's best song here, though, is "Landlocked", which sounds like it was included on the album in its demo form, as background noises and flubbed notes are both audible. It helps the song's immediacy, actually. Using a metaphor relating a frustrating relationship to a piece of area being confined from touching water (hence the title), Mead paints a beautiful picture in a way that's pretty complex for modern pop music.

The album is an auspicious debut, and its only noticable flaws are perhaps it being occasionally too eclectic for some people's tastes, and Mead's reach occasionally exceeding his grasp (most notably, on the lounge-y "Make the Most Of"). Still, David Mead has established himself as a talent worth following, listening to, and celebrating.