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I came across David G Cox via House Of Cards, a fifteen minute epic that opens with Tom Waits-like vocals over a funereal beat with some Terry Hall-like backing vocals scattered here and there. And just as the song itself ended, it went off in some unforeseen freeform direction that went on seemingly forever. It’s a colossal track and one that had me itching to hear more. I wasn’t disappointed either – I've probably played this self titled debut more than any other 2010 release, and I’m firmly of the opinion that it is quality from start to finish. It was something of a surprise to see the photo on the album cover, however, as the fresh-faced young fella there really doesn’t match the lived in qualities of his voice.
Cox is apparently pursuing a PhD in black American folklore and gospel and these influences are here for all to hear, from the opening track, The Serpents Tale, which is the sound of a Waits-like gravelly voice over a New Orleans funeral tune. There are other vocalists that come to mind, too. There’s the odd Leonard Cohen moment to be found whilst Song #7, which sounds like Stray Cat Strut, and features a lovely lazy brass solo, finds Cox sounding not unlike Lloyd Cole as he sings "I lost my friends on a Saturday night". And when Cox sings "I shot her down" on The Ballad Of The Yellow Moon, it’s The Only Ones' Peter Perrett who comes to mind.
Other highlights include the beautiful Falling Leaves with its Nick Drake-like finger-picked intro and mid-70s electric piano outro and the heartfelt Please Don’t Cry. I’m also rather fond of Bogart And Bacall with its tasty "we could have it all, just like Bogart and Bacall" opening couplet. A quick word, too, for the backing vocals from Chad Mason and Lucy Wolford with the latter sounding particularly fine on When the Blue Sky Turned Red. The album ends with House Of Cards, although I should point out that this is a truncated version that does away with the ten minutes of freeform madness that I guess is unlikely to be everyone’s cup of tea anyway.
On the strength of this debut album, the future looks bright for Cox. I may be leaving myself open to potentially looking silly here, but I've never been shy of making a big statement and at the risk of blowing my own trumpet I've been proved right more than not over the years! So here goes...on the evidence here I think we could possibly have found a major new talent here.
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