Nearly two decades ago I turned on my local PBS television station and happened upon a program featuring David Wilcox, a folk artist with a storytelling style of playing guitar and singing. I was hooked. The next day, I headed to the local music store (this was before Amazon and Apple iTunes) and picked up a copy of the first album from him I could find.
That album turned out to be How Did You Find Me Here?. To this day, it's still one of the most-played albums on my iPod, with "Eye Of The Hurricane," "Leave It Like It Is," and "Jamie's Secret" the three tracks I can probably sing in my sleep. Beyond the amazing guitar playing, there's just something about the way he constructs his songs that evokes an emotional response. His voice has a genuineness about it that expresses the joy or sorrow or simply tells it like it is.
A few years later, I picked up a copy of Big Horizon, which continued Wilcox's trend for amazing music. The songs "Block Dog," "Break In The Cup," and "Strong Chemistry" have ended up in many of my playlists over the years. The stories of the highs and lows of human relationships combined with his music continued to speak directly to my heart at the time.
But somehow I lost track of Wilcox after that in the shuffle of daily life. So recently, when I heard that he had a new album coming out - Reverie - I thought I'd give it a listen. Though his subject matter has changed a bit in the last 10 years, his voice, guitar, and songs are still as great as they ever were.
With the world as messed up as it currently is, I was amused by "End of the World (again)". "Tell me about the calendar the Mayans figured out / before they all disappeared in mystery / they didn't have a future but it seems we have no doubt / they know the punchline of our history" says it all... An apocalypse is always just around the corner - and the "sun keeps burnin' / world keeps turnin' / we just can't can't go on like this..." and if the world's going to end, we might as well enjoy it with a view of the fireworks. Tomorrow's probably going to come anyway, right?
"Shark Man" has a groovy rhythm and picked beat as it compares a warped relationship to one person being in a shark cage and the other circling, waiting for an opportunity to strike. This is classic Wilcox for me with lines like "I draw you in with my style / big toothy grin / we haven't fought for a while / I'm back again..." The analogy of the shark cage for a pair of lovers is not one I ever would have made and yet, it works so well!
Article comments
1 - mhm
I attended one of the two nights in Cincinnati when Reverie was recorded. The "studio" was a former church and about 200 of us sat quietly while Wilcox performed song after song. We were asked not to applaud until he gave us the okay sign. It was a great night and we got to hear a ton of music. I have been following him since the mid-1980s and his talent continues to amaze.
2 - Fitz
@mhm - Awesome! Wish I was there. Thanks for providing some context to the recording process. :)
3 - philip burge
david, love your music but your last 4-5 records suck. No band, very little harmony vocals, songs of quiet desperation, etc. B-O-R-I-N-G.......
Get a small duo or trio behind you to make your songs jump. Hell, I'll play bass or drums for you at no cost if $$$$$ is an issue, and I'll throw in some shit-hot Texas guitar players, mandolin players, slide players, etc. for free just to see what you could do.
Greetings from the Whistle Stop Saloon in Palestine, Texas