David Saw is already a name respected and admired in some musical circles. He’s impressed a variety of names including Paul Carrack, Gary Go, and Carly Simon. He’s also played one of his songs at Bill Clinton’s birthday party. Now he is venturing into the wider musical world and launching himself as a solo singer-songwriter.
A songwriting friend of mine, once said in an interview I did with him, that you’ll always know when you’ve got a good song if it sounds great stripped down without all the production etc. The simple approach is obviously something David Saw believes in, but does he have the great songs? Well almost. I would say that there are some inspired moments in ‘Broken Down Figure’ that I very much enjoyed, although to be fair there were a few weaknesses too.
To get the critique out of the way first, I would say that he’s an artist that captures reflective, melancholy moods well, but could add some more warmth and energy to his vocal when the songs are more upbeat/lively. I would also like to have seen a little more emphasis on the chorus and bridge in some songs, and a little variety in the lyrical themes. But this is just opinion and suggestion, and credit is certainly due in other areas, particularly when it comes to lyrics. Phrases like “up in the clouds is where you feel safe” and “smoke in the air, dust in your lungs” stuck in my head after listening to ‘Come Down’. I also found his use of imagery in other songs interesting. When it comes to the arrangements and instrumentation, I would say ‘Some Love’ is by far the best song on the album. It’s a track to make you smile and sway along to, definitely one for a long summer night. To vary the tempo a little, David has also produced some livelier, slightly retro songs with a rock twist. ‘Buy My Record’ is the first of these, a reflective examination of fame and the famous. The second is quite simply called ‘Someones Gonna Love You’. In case you haven’t already guessed, love in its various guises crops up a bit in this album, but will the fans love David Saw? Only time will tell, but I think this album will give them a good indication of who he is as an artist, and the areas in which he has potential.
Album released June 29th
www.davidsawmusic.com