Togetherness

Album Review

Singer/composer David Garland is a quirky kind of guy. A classical music DJ with an encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary music, a fan of all things lounge and retro (this disc's cover painting, by Richard Powers, is a classic mid-'50s sci-fi illustration) and a musical associate of John Zorn and Guy Klucevsek, it stands to reason that his songs would stray toward the odder end of the spectrum. They do, but in a very homey and even warm fashion, dealing with the small vicissitudes and pleasures of everyday life. This is essentially a solo recording, with the other musicians contributing on only one or two tracks apiece. Garland, who has a rich voice ranging from an earnest tenor to a velvety baritone, sings of watching TV, family stories, and nighttime walks in a style that wanders from matter-of-fact to subtly surreal. Lines like "I once rode on the subway/I have read several books" manage to both ingratiate and engender some degree of, if not pity, at least empathy. He can also go loopily wacky, as in "The Best of Both Worlds," an off-the-wall sci-fi extravaganza where he brazenly deploys lines like "I could sing a really hep tune in the liquid air of Neptune" and "I would study daily in a class taught by an alien." The songs are essentially pop structures but with unusual tweakings that have more to do with classical art songs than rock, and the hooks, to the extent they exist, are elusive enough for mainstream rock listeners to find the going a bit frustrating. But for fans of fringe rock bands like Brave Combo or They Might Be Giants, David Garland might prove an enjoyable find.