Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wake up & enjoy some great music, September 24, 2008
This is a review for the CD version of "Wake up & say goodbye" not for the MP3 downloads. If you haven't heard David Usher before (or his former band Moist) give one of Canada's greatest singers a listen. This is the 6th CD of his I have purchased & no other cd's I have in my collection get played as much. (Others I consider as always solid would be Coldplay - until viva la vida, John Mayer, Rob Thomas). I would describe this cd as a smooth rock / pop sound. In concert it is definitely more towards the rock edge. If you are familiar with David Usher then this cd won't let you down - I saw another reviewer say each new cd keeps getting better I agree with this statement. I enjoy this as much as "Strange Birds". Great CD. Check out davidusher.com as well & you can see the progression of this cd from start to finish.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Let the energy of the rushing river sway you, December 11, 2008
I can tell you that this is a great album, but that won't help at all since that doesn't really give a clear picture of what I mean. One word that can sum up this album though is ENERGY. That is the key to the entire album. David Usher surpasses himself. Though his days with Moist are so far away, he still resonates with the same youth as back in the day. His song writing talents are at their peak. There is a pulse in the songs, a rush. And it starts so wonderfully well.
The first song is "The River", which is interesting since it plays on his first solo success, "St. Lawrence River". It is interesting since it gives you a good indication of what to expect. He is taking themes he covered earlier and brining them to the next level. In the case of the river, he picks up the pace of his earlier incarnation of the theme, giving the indication of a rushing river. Add to that the glorious imagery of lovers being washed away by a torrent, but smiling since they are together. The drive in this song is amazing.
Though this first song introduces the album's energy, it eclipses a few others, that is the only negative comment I can think of.
Throughout this album, he brings back the theme of flying across the universe, of numbness and of humanism. Especially in "Everyday Things". He does a wonderful juxtaposition of talking about the average life with the similar energy applied to "The River", showing humanity's strength.
I could talk for countless hours of the rest of the songs, but I prefer letting you discover the wonders. What I find wonderful about this album is that David and his band members are the actual producers, meaning that this album is his own vision and that he is not limited, thus, showing us his private piece of art. He also calls upon some great Quebecois talent like Joran's marvellous cello solo in when it hurts, brining so much emotion into the song.
It is saddening that this artist isn't as famous as the others out there and has less of a reach because this is such great talent that I am sure the you would be more fond of.
And I wish I could classify a style to guide you better. It is similar to other Canadian acoustic rock, like Alanis Morrisette yet with a more melodic ring like Sarah McGlaughlin (but on speed). It's definitely Rock, but not unbearably hard.
What is most wonderful is the emotion every song contains, and especially, it's energy.
If you're interested, I highly recommend it, but listen to the sample Amazon tracks just in case :)
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