David, having a gleeful beginning
BEGIN.
David reminds me of the persona in John Denver’s song Leaving on a Jet Plane, who announces “All my bags are packed; I’m ready to go” to loved ones before leaving to a faraway place for a long time – except that David also adds “But before I do, here’s something for you”. This “something”, then, is a brand new album consisting (almost) entirely of covers – an album he had decided to name BEGIN. “Why BEGIN.?”, you ask. David has very nicely explained here that it symbolises his entry into “new world, and a new phase of life” (for those in the dark, David is currently serving as a missionary for two years in South America); besides, it also depicts the “beginning of something else – a new mindset; a new perspective on things which is going to influence everything else”. It is an album that he hopes will bring everyone and begin the new journey together with him. As for its peculiar formatting (why all capitals, and why the period at the end?), Kari Sellards, David’s manager, has cheekily posted a few tweets regarding the subject, which you may check out here, here and here (in that order).
This album features a very pleasing choice of some well-known songs, including Christina Aguilera’s Beautiful, Sarah McLachlan’s Angel and even an original track by David, named Broken – all of which will be examined in a track-by-track review of the entire album. Prior to that, though, I would like to point out a couple of things – namely, David’s experimentation and bold use of his head voice in this album, to great effect. It’s so gratifying to hear David use it so well; after all, it is a new style for him. On the other side of the coin, there are nuances throughout the album which show that he does still have some ways to improve vocally – not so much that they spoil your enjoyment of the album, but they are there nevertheless. So, then – I will cut to the chase.
1. Beautiful
When I first heard this song, I noticed immediately how little David has deviated from the original track from Christina Aguilera – it is “karaoke-esque” for the most part, but don’t let that fool you. David’s expression in the chorus and the growls he scattered around it add enough impact to his rendition of the song. He does mean it when he says you are beautiful, so believe it, ladies and gentlemen. Nevertheless, he does go through some rough patches and awkward vocalisations so it isn’t the best track on the album – but it represents a solid enough effort from David. As an after-thought, this track reminds me of David when he was younger – before he was diagnosed with vocal paralysis: so full of spunk when he sings his songs.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
2. Somewhere Only We Know
David’s sugary pipes add a strange vibe to this song – haunting but sweet at the same time. The repetitive arrangement only enhances this effect. It is amusing how someone as young as David sings of being old and tired, but his honeyed crooning really does justice to his expression of this song. It is mellow and melancholic, yet manages to avoid sounding dull and lifeless – but this track isn’t one of my favourites from the album (blame it on my peculiar tastes, if you will).
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
3. Everybody Hurts
This is one of the better songs on the album – David’s high wail throughout portrays, with clarity, pain; and you can pick up his sympathy easily: he really wants you to know that everybody hurts and that it’s okay. Whether he is down in his lower register in “hang on” or soaring in his higher register in “hold on”, it is a reassuring sound that you want to believe in. The sweet, buttery voice that is so good at bubblegum-pop material takes a turn in the other direction here – and it doesn’t disappoint. Hey, he did end up as a runner-up on Idol for good reason after all.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
4. Don’t Give Up
David maintains his momentum in this (yet another) haunting track. His voice and the arrangement give this calming (and folk-ish) vibe to the song, and Libby Linton’s voice is beautiful as well as wrenching – together, they make for one of the best tracks on BEGIN. David is quite known for his outstanding duet capabilities – blending smoothly with his singing partners to produce almost unnaturally beautiful phrases – and he upholds that reputation pretty well in this song. Unfortunately, there is only one line in which they sing together – at other times, they take turns to sing their parts of the song, which led me to believe that they recorded this piece separately (due to time constraints) and the producers mashed their parts into the song later. It is quite a pity, since they sound so good together; I look forward to more performances from them.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
5. Angel
This is one of the other “karaoke” tracks on the album – David has imitated almost note-for-note the original song, but boy, if there was ever a time when the adage “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” can be used, it is here. David is near flawless in this track; he captures so well the emotions featured in the song, and his heavy, rich crooning only serves to polish his performance in this track. His singing of “may you find some comfort here” is quite possibly my favourite moment in this song – if not the entire album. An angel of a song, indeed.
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
6. Bridge Over Troubled Water
David runs into some troubled water in this song as he struggles with the vocalisation of certain parts (has anyone noticed his awkward “bridge”?). Nonetheless, his voice soars into sweet ecstasy in the chorus – producing the iconic croon that we all know him so well for; he doesn’t let the awkwardness detract him from the main emotions of the song. His final “Like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease you mind” has some of the most pleasing runs on the album, and David’s overall performance in this song is strong enough to earn some (if not many) favourites from listeners.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
7. Broken
Here, we get to listen to David’s one and only original song on the entire album – and it is one of the most exquisite tracks I’ve heard from David so far – not just in this album, but in his entire career. David’s execution is very precise and careful, almost as if he is afraid of breaking something as he sings his lines. He begins the song softly and reassuringly – betraying the morbid message which he sings: “Child, it seems that younger and younger they start to wipe your minds clean”. Then he transitions into a beautifully haunting (yet again) chorus that really is a wonder to hear – so pure and fresh that the whole song can consist of just the chorus and I would not have minded one bit. As he proceeds into the bridge, the song gains power as David powerfully exclaims “Do you see what I see?” – the backing vocals (sung by David) further add to the momentum, then he lands suddenly and flawlessly into the final chorus: “But I saw, when I opened up my eyes, invisible children”. It is an interesting paradox: how does one see invisible children? Is it not the same as not opening your eyes at all?
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
8. True Colours
David maintains his momentum from his previous masterpiece as he sings True Colours. I feel the necessity to applaud the sheer power in his voice as he sings “so don’t be afraid” in the chorus, and the other verses are well-sung, too. The arrangement takes the backstage as it dances at the fringes of the song, letting David’s vocals stand out – and his voice really is outstanding, without being too flashy at the same time.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
9. Pride (In the Name of Love)
This is the only upbeat song in the whole album, but it isn’t necessarily the cream of the crop. David’s buttery croon is a mismatch with this pop-rock track. He yells too much in the chorus for my liking, but the verses are good enough listening material. I am particularly fond of the bridge and David’s use of his head voice, which he scatters throughout the song, but there is nothing much to scream about this song.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
10. Be Still, My Soul
It puzzles me as to why David added a hymn to this album, but ours not to reason why. He doesn’t deliver that amazing performance reminiscent of Christmas from the Heart that you might be expecting, but I like the generally melancholic tone of the track and David’s rather suppressed vocals. The tragic-sounding piano arrangement also delights yours truly, and makes for a fitting last track for the album: this is as much as we will hear from David for the next year and some more. Enjoy every note in this song, even as the tinkle of the piano fades away sadly into oblivion.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
In a nutshell, this album is showcases quite a decent performance from David. I recall another review of this same album which stated that this album isn’t meant to impress the crowd, but is merely there to satisfy us ArchAngels and keep us satisfied as we await his return; I beg to differ: BEGIN. can certainly persuade non-Angels to join our fandom – all they need are some good-quality headphones and a very loud player to convince them. David has taken a new direction in his singing style on this album, featuring the more tender and powerful parts of his voice, and it is a good and effective decision on his part. Nevertheless, this ballad-heavy album can be quite a tedious earful for some people, while others may be put off by the twinning of David’s sugary, buttery voice with these timeless melodies – it takes some getting used to this album, but once you have, you will not regret having made the transaction to purchase BEGIN.
“While I won’t have all of you there with me, with this album I wanted you to know what it feels like for me – this new start; this new chapter – that is why I wanted to call it BEGIN.” So speaks David, and personally, I feel that the album is quite a great beginning to this “new chapter”, and I certainly hope that this excellent start will be carried onwards in his life, and that he will use this experience to further enhance his musicality. What say you? Spare some of your thoughts regarding the album in the comments section below!
-Zach-
Archuleta Avenue Malaysia 