Singer/songwriter releases his most ambitiously eclectic record yet
Four albums into a solidly workmanlike career, David Mead’s ability to spin a plaintive tune and clever verse has kept him in business, albeit perennially lost in a vast sea of like-minded singer/songwriters. Always an exceptional tunesmith, Tangerine is the first album Mead has cut that be?ts an artist of his talent, with producer Brad Jones adding warm piano, swooning strings and lush harmonies to color every blank piece of compositional canvas. Previously a songwriter who emphasized the Big Picture over subtle details, Mead’s emphasis here on slight shifts in tempo and texture are dazzling, from the gorgeously eerie a cappella harmonies of “Reminded #1” to the laidback strings and clanging xylophone of the disarmingly straightforward “Choosing Teams.” His writing, too, is sharper, more observational and cautiously sentimental. Tangerine is the sound of a singer/songwriter finding his voice.