Customer Reviews

Nature

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Once in a while you stumble upon a rough gem. This cd is such a gem. It contains deliciously jazzy songs. Some with a positive beat, such as the fantastic 'dog's life' and 'everlasting no', some with a slightly gloomy touch, such as 'small black heart'.
It's unpolished sound is completely in line with the music, and adds to the atmosphere.
Kelly Flints voice is a delight, and fits with the change in moods. It reminded me of a Dutch singer-songwriter, Fay Lovsky.
The only disappointment is the opening song, which is quite monotonous and, actually, boring.
Still, I can easily forgive them for that, considering the enjoyment of the other songs.

If you like this style, I strongly recommend trying Working Nights from Working Week, the absolute number one jazzy-pop albums ever produced.

I've been a "Dave's True Story" fan for years. Kelly Flint has one of the best voices around. Dave Kantor's music and lyrics are intelligent, original, very sophisticated and great listening. Kelly delivers them with terific style. This new album represents a development in their style that is exciting and fun. This is Cole Porter for the 21st Century.

More than any of their previous albums, Dave's True Story's latest, Nature, defies expectation. And that's saying something for a band that has made a career of bending musical genres to delightful and surprising effect. For me, the music hits deeper grooves, explores more pop-inflected melodies, and reveals new emotional depths without sacrificing the group's trademark subversive take on life and love.
Dave Cantor's lyrics take a more imagistic turn on this disc, the humor more existential than on previous releases. Kelly Flint's voice is superb, as always, but her readings of the songs have found a new level of tenderness and soulfulness. Plus the album is recorded beautifully. If you're new to the band, this is the place to get to know them. If you're a fan, you'll be surprised but definitely not disappointed.

Others have already reported how wonderful the songs are on this latest Dave's True Story CD. They're absolutely correct, and I doff my hat to Dave Cantor, who has proven himself a master lyricist several times over. Kelly Flint's voice is gorgeous and the passing of time has only enriched its character. Bravissimo!

However, I want to extol the virtue of the recording itself. It resides near the top of my personal best list, and it will likely remain there for awhile. The recording sounds loose and clublike, yet it's apparent that the producer and engineer took enormous pains to get every sound just right. The percussion is astoundingly real, the bass a solid foundation, and Kelly's voice dances with the trumpet and saxes. For an audiophile, this recording is one of the rare, blessed ones that sounds as good as a system will allow. I need a CD like this every once in awhile to remind me why I have so much money, time, thought, and care wrapped up in a stereo.

When I first put this record on, I was expecting the same sardonic toungue-in-cheek wit that was on Unauthorized. What I got was definitely a surprise. This album is not as funny as some of their previous works but it has much more emotional depth. There is a conviction in the songwriting and a confidence in the presentation that makes this album a much more serious work. And that's a good thing! It's just as addicting as any of their other records but I think that this album will reach many more people than just the literary or scientific amoung us. And then I found myself feeling a little bit of melancholia over this--like I've lost this band to the world. They used to feel like my own personal discovery--now I feel a bit like a mother who's dear children have grown and left home! I say this affectionately--I wish them all the best and I hope that I'm correct in thinking that this album will find it's way into a much larger arena than they have previously experienced.

Here's what you should do: Buy this album and formally introduce it to your CD player, because they're going to be spending a lot of time together. At once, gorgeous, soulful, smart, funny, dark, light, wacky and sultry, this music can be played at a party, in your restaurant, for your date, your daughter or your grandmother--it bridges tastes and generations because it is classic and brilliant. Be prepared to find yourself wondering why you had to discover them here as opposed to on your local radio station, but with this latest album--clearly their most accomplished (thought they're all great)-- fear not, Dave's True Story will have their day!

After an interminable wait for another album by this wonderful band, I can say it was well worth it. I believe this is their finest album to date. Complete immersive listening is not enough for me--I am absolutely obsessed with this album--and I fear for the lifespan of my ipod! This is music we need, as a culture, to restore our faith in how intelligent and soulful music can really be. Kudo's to Dave's True Story and thank God for them!

The best music and the best variety of styles yet for this sleek and witty NY band. More romantic than the earlier CDs, "Nature" still features the excellent wit of Dave Cantor's lyrics, and the vocals by Kelly Flint are beautiful. Her voice wraps around some of the lines in a traditional ballad way, but surprise twists are reflected in her off-hand, loose jazzy style on others.
The opening song, "World in Which We Live" is instantly likeable and offers images of a romantic world tour--but of course not an ordinary romance. The disc ends with a seductive "Blue Nile" that sticks in memory, and "Chasing the White Line Down" and "Sandman" are going to be DTS classics.
People who like artists from Delbert McClinton to Diana Krall will find "Nature" a wonderful listen.

I'm so moved by the chemistry of this band--that one person writes all these brilliant songs...that he found someone to interpret them so fully and magnificently...that they have managed to top all their other addictive albums. "Nature" is a masterpiece.

Not only is "Nature" Dave's True Story's best work to date, it stands on its own as a record with broad, lasting appeal. It has all the whimsy and fun of their previous releases yet this time bassist Jeff Eyrich's beautifully understated producing skills take things to a higher level, turning out the kind of album that - for its master musicianship and moody warmth -- can only be compared to Norah Jones'debut album. Add in songwriter Dave Cantor's unique brand of lyrics and melodies, and singer Kelly Flint's crisp, clean, often tongue-in-cheek vocal stylings, and you have a recording that (like Jones's) should be heard everywhere. (The fact that this band does not get the kind of mainstream radio airplay that major label artists do is testament that payola is still alive and well. Where are those daring DJs of yesteryear? Thank goodness for independent radio, and DTS's continued live performances.)

On tracks like "Dog's Life," "Everlasting No," and "I Lost My Nature," Flint pulls off that wink-and-a-smile delivery her audiences have come to love. Yet she has the ability to turn soulful - yet, with Cantor's pen, never sappy or preachy -- on songs like "Still She Knows" and "Small Black Heart." Other tunes like "Sandman," "Kiss Me Quick" and "Blue Nile" have that retro, yet still fresh and modern, feel. This is the kind of CD that plays well in cafes, bars, bistros, dinner parties, as well as in romantic or family settings. It's light yet deep, warm yet silly. Overall just laid back, not too loud fun. A must have for every CD collection. - AK, New York