Gregory Robson
06/17/09, 06:36 AM
David Moore - My Lover My Stranger
Record Label: Doghouse Records
Release Date: June 23, 2009
It is virtually impossible to put into words the impact the indie rock band Chamberlain nee Split Lip had on the mid-to-late 90s emo scene. Even harder to define is the admiration critics, music consumers and other parties had for the band's frontman/lyricist David Moore, as well as its chief songwriter and guitarist Seth Rubenstein. Even in the band's latter years, when they wholly reinvented their sound, the critics and fans came in droves. When the band unexpectedly broke up in 2000, the flowering praise reached almost unimaginable heights.
Eight years removed from Chamberlain's breakup, Moore returns to the spotlight with his debut, full-length My Lover, My Stranger. And man is it something. Continuing with the heartland, roots-rock sentiments of Chamberlain's The Moon My Saddle and Exit 263, My Lover My Stranger begins with the sweeping, string-backed ballad "After Everything I've Done," a peculiar way to open a disc, but one that is certainly graceful, symphonic and revelatory. On the heels of that is the hard-charging anthem "Breaking You Down," another swirling, cinematic effort that's multi-layered, intricate and absolutely stellar. Always a compelling vocalist, Moore's husky, gravelly timbre is the perfect compliment to the stirring commotion laid out in the first two tracks and the songs seem almost unfit for anyone else.
Third song "Corners," is a romantic ballad that's as solid as any love song released so far this year and despite Moore's exaggerated emphasis on the first half of the word, there's little reason to not put this song on repeat. Fourth song "Radiate," is a jangly and jovial affair that's vernal and crisp as he sings about rising above difficult circumstances. Fifth song "Home To Me," is at present one of Moore's best of all time. A mid-tempo country crawl fueled by a searing lap steel, the song is gruff, tough and honest. A nostalgic yarn about a father reaching out to a son, there's a relativity and a warmness about it that's truly authentic and convincing. Whether autobiographical or pure fiction, the song is a tour-de-force and proof that Moore knows his way around a song.
Those sentiments are further elucidated in the pounding "Forgiven," and the equally propulsive "Beautiful Now." Tenth track "Jericho," is much like "Home to Me," another statement song that separates Moore from the pack. A rolling, anti-war diatribe, the song unravels like a cord, as he sings, "They got me surrounded, I won't dare surrender now." That refrain of hope carries forward in the album's last two songs. "Day is Done," and "Rise Up and Move On" are both impressive, incredibly different and sonically separate from the album's earlier work.
"Day is Done, " is sparse and airy, a la Daniel Lanois, and "Rise Up and Move On," is crumbly and ragged and more akin to Tom Waits.
The fact that My Lover, My Stranger was even made is almost as impressive as the disc itself. As it has been well-documented in various press releases, in the summer of 2001, Moore released himself from the shackles of Chamberlain and sold his Gretsch guitar, amp and other music accessories. He spent time at home with his wife and children and began the daily grind of working a 9-5. Though he tinkered around with a bluegrass/country side project Chevy Downs, he let music take a backseat and focused on living a simple Midwestern life.
In the winter of 2005, Rubenstein, a New York resident, was visiting family over the holidays when he and Moore began rekindling the memories and started talking about songwriting. The two bounced ideas back and forth and with the help of Doghouse Records executive Dirk Hemsath laid the groundwork for his solo debut. Everything would change a year later. In 2007, while on a layover at Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson airport, he ran into fellow Hoosier John David Webster, a producer and musician who happened to live only a few blocks from Moore and his family. Under Webster's tutelage My Lover My Stranger took shape. As fate would have it, Moore's father later bought his son's Gresch guitar, returned it to him and the rest is gospel.
The power of My Lover My Stranger is that there isn't a song that's even remotely close to a clunker. Each song is epic, grandiose and ebullient and fraught with emotion, peril and sensitivity. Moore writes the kinds of songs that musicians spend lifetimes trying to find, and that he does it so effortlessly is even more impressive. Those that followed Chamberlain and Split Lip were always cognizant of his talent, but seeing it fully fleshed out like this, is a real treat. One can only hope Moore finds the same energy and dedication he did when he first started and that he never walks away from music again. This kind of talent should never be wasted.
1. After Everything I've Done
2. Breaking You Down
3. Corners
4. Radiate
5. Home to Me
6. When You Fall
7. Forgiven
8. Cry
9. Beautiful Now
10. Jericho
11. Day is Done
12. Rise Up and Move On
Bruce Springsteen, Josh Ritter, Bob Dylan, John Mellancamp
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/davidmooremusic)
Website (http://www.doghouserecords.com)
Record Label: Doghouse Records
Release Date: June 23, 2009
It is virtually impossible to put into words the impact the indie rock band Chamberlain nee Split Lip had on the mid-to-late 90s emo scene. Even harder to define is the admiration critics, music consumers and other parties had for the band's frontman/lyricist David Moore, as well as its chief songwriter and guitarist Seth Rubenstein. Even in the band's latter years, when they wholly reinvented their sound, the critics and fans came in droves. When the band unexpectedly broke up in 2000, the flowering praise reached almost unimaginable heights.
Eight years removed from Chamberlain's breakup, Moore returns to the spotlight with his debut, full-length My Lover, My Stranger. And man is it something. Continuing with the heartland, roots-rock sentiments of Chamberlain's The Moon My Saddle and Exit 263, My Lover My Stranger begins with the sweeping, string-backed ballad "After Everything I've Done," a peculiar way to open a disc, but one that is certainly graceful, symphonic and revelatory. On the heels of that is the hard-charging anthem "Breaking You Down," another swirling, cinematic effort that's multi-layered, intricate and absolutely stellar. Always a compelling vocalist, Moore's husky, gravelly timbre is the perfect compliment to the stirring commotion laid out in the first two tracks and the songs seem almost unfit for anyone else.
Third song "Corners," is a romantic ballad that's as solid as any love song released so far this year and despite Moore's exaggerated emphasis on the first half of the word, there's little reason to not put this song on repeat. Fourth song "Radiate," is a jangly and jovial affair that's vernal and crisp as he sings about rising above difficult circumstances. Fifth song "Home To Me," is at present one of Moore's best of all time. A mid-tempo country crawl fueled by a searing lap steel, the song is gruff, tough and honest. A nostalgic yarn about a father reaching out to a son, there's a relativity and a warmness about it that's truly authentic and convincing. Whether autobiographical or pure fiction, the song is a tour-de-force and proof that Moore knows his way around a song.
Those sentiments are further elucidated in the pounding "Forgiven," and the equally propulsive "Beautiful Now." Tenth track "Jericho," is much like "Home to Me," another statement song that separates Moore from the pack. A rolling, anti-war diatribe, the song unravels like a cord, as he sings, "They got me surrounded, I won't dare surrender now." That refrain of hope carries forward in the album's last two songs. "Day is Done," and "Rise Up and Move On" are both impressive, incredibly different and sonically separate from the album's earlier work.
"Day is Done, " is sparse and airy, a la Daniel Lanois, and "Rise Up and Move On," is crumbly and ragged and more akin to Tom Waits.
The fact that My Lover, My Stranger was even made is almost as impressive as the disc itself. As it has been well-documented in various press releases, in the summer of 2001, Moore released himself from the shackles of Chamberlain and sold his Gretsch guitar, amp and other music accessories. He spent time at home with his wife and children and began the daily grind of working a 9-5. Though he tinkered around with a bluegrass/country side project Chevy Downs, he let music take a backseat and focused on living a simple Midwestern life.
In the winter of 2005, Rubenstein, a New York resident, was visiting family over the holidays when he and Moore began rekindling the memories and started talking about songwriting. The two bounced ideas back and forth and with the help of Doghouse Records executive Dirk Hemsath laid the groundwork for his solo debut. Everything would change a year later. In 2007, while on a layover at Atlanta's Hartfield-Jackson airport, he ran into fellow Hoosier John David Webster, a producer and musician who happened to live only a few blocks from Moore and his family. Under Webster's tutelage My Lover My Stranger took shape. As fate would have it, Moore's father later bought his son's Gresch guitar, returned it to him and the rest is gospel.
The power of My Lover My Stranger is that there isn't a song that's even remotely close to a clunker. Each song is epic, grandiose and ebullient and fraught with emotion, peril and sensitivity. Moore writes the kinds of songs that musicians spend lifetimes trying to find, and that he does it so effortlessly is even more impressive. Those that followed Chamberlain and Split Lip were always cognizant of his talent, but seeing it fully fleshed out like this, is a real treat. One can only hope Moore finds the same energy and dedication he did when he first started and that he never walks away from music again. This kind of talent should never be wasted.
1. After Everything I've Done
2. Breaking You Down
3. Corners
4. Radiate
5. Home to Me
6. When You Fall
7. Forgiven
8. Cry
9. Beautiful Now
10. Jericho
11. Day is Done
12. Rise Up and Move On
Bruce Springsteen, Josh Ritter, Bob Dylan, John Mellancamp
Myspace (http://www.myspace.com/davidmooremusic)
Website (http://www.doghouserecords.com)