DAVID WHITE
Pioneer
Somerset, NJ, United States
David White’s latest album, ‘Pioneer’ brings classic American sounds onto the modern stage. With vocals that pack a punch and a great mix of tunes, ‘Pioneer’ doesn’t disappoint in the diversity department. David White has a voice that hits high and stays there, almost endlessly. It's a sound that lends itself well to the instrumental he has cultivated within ‘Pioneer’ as it breaks through the chugging of guitars and static of the symbols. The album is fun above all else, while taking time to express emotions toward love, loss and passions, there are also plenty of tracks that are just a hell of a good time. Good for a party, a long-distance drive or just to stick on when you’re feeling blue. ‘Pioneer’ is David White’s best work yet, and I am sure there will be plenty more to come.
The album opens with ‘Backwards Town’ a song that pleases you from the moment you press play. A classic tone rips out. Chiming guitars that blend, crisp and clear like springtime air. You wait for drums that have to step in at some point. A harmonica perhaps, playing a wailing bawl over the country stream, then some slide guitar lets up so the country vocals can lay it on thick and… wait. David White throws us a curveball. Chuck your expectations to the side and listen up, it says. The song stops - silence. “Let me try that again”. A rocking tone, thick like grunge, crackles to life as the same progression is twirled before us, this time wearing Harley leathers and lots of silver rings. The song kicks up and we’re off. To where? Well to ‘Pioneer’ something I suppose.
This vibe is plentiful across the album. The blues keeps on in tracks like ‘Rainier’, which touches on nature and its singularities; ‘Letters from Nowhere’ which hits a rockier note with its love-centric lyrics and sounds very Rush and ‘Beyond the Delaware’ with its shouting lyrics and kicking riff that hits home and hits it hard, It is a sound that David White has crafted out of a joy of the music. The songs are well composed yes, but what they present is joviality, even in the darker songs there lies a sense of hope, an uplifting spark in the night. All of this stems from our subverted expectations during the first 30 seconds of the album. To then touch back on those ideas throughout ‘Pioneer’ is a clever way to keep anyone invested as if a mystery lies within this album's chords.
There are other sounds and genres sprinkled throughout ‘Pioneer’, do not think that David White would leave us with just one flavour of splendour. ‘Nothing Compares to You’ is a jazzy funk track that features some tasty percussion and a lovely melody that’s a surefire earworm. ‘Lullaby for Molly’ is slower, darker, solemn, yet hopeful. It features some amazing vocals that are drawn from David White’s choir background and it works brilliantly against the minimal guitar riff. ‘Monday’ feels punk, it's sharp, brazen and full of attitude. A great break from the rich sounds on the rest of the tracks, a pallet cleanser.
This album is full of many wonders, all spawned from the throughline in David’s mind about what ‘Pioneer’ as a whole will be. ‘Y’ is an uplifting ballad, ‘Pioneer’ is a classic Americana track that simply cannot be missed, compressing all the sounds of the album into one track. ‘Dead Language’ is 70s rock and plays with great harmonies and baselines. Though for me ‘Okay in Love’ was the song to remember. Hidden amongst the plentiful great tracks on ‘Pioneer’ something about ‘Okay in Love’ makes it stand out. Whether it's the amazingly catchy melody, the pushing chorus, chirpy bass or the easily singable lyrics. Whatever it is, it's my choice for the single, and I would suggest any good fun-loving human to give it a listen. If anything, it will draw you into the David White world and get you hooked on ‘Pioneer’ as it did for me.
A brilliant honest album with tones that span the modern ages of American Rock, a homage to the Pioneers.