Review Summary: Beard Logic Riddles shows that Young's ideas are all present and accounted for, but very few of them are developed or fully realized.
One of the best parts about Nothing Rhymes with David, the solo project of David James Young, is that even though he's a young acoustic singer-songwriter, he breaks away from the angsty pretense of many balladeers in his scene as well as folksy fizz, wading in the middle of the two stereotypes. Of course this isn't the most innovative approach towards acoustic rock, but nevertheless, he seems pretty happy to go on his own way. And while this, as expected, makes for a pretty safe and generic listen, it's by no means humdrum. On his debut album,
Beard Logic Riddles, Young charms listeners more than anything, which is probably how he transforms his songs from average acoustic pieces to nice, earnest rock tunes.
In essence, Young spins his musical whimsy into something completely heartfelt and relatable, if not verging on social radiance. As well, he charms his listeners in inexplicable ways. Perhaps it stems from how absolutely sincere he is? I mean he sings with such conviction that even the most jaded of listeners's heart will melt from such a simplistic stance. His EP's deeply rooted in the past, verging on a retrospect. It's highly cinematic and descriptive, painting images in the minds of listeners even when "wont say a word." He smiles at old memories, but he and his listener both realize his actual feelings behind them, half-sour but undyingly optimistic. He still dreams.
But don't think for a second though that
Beard Logic Riddles is all charm and no talent. The debut is an album which has a fair share of quality tunes, such as the speedy "Her Girl Velocity" and the more technical and easygoing "Train." The former is standard folk rock complete with major chords and minimalist tendencies. It's far more energetic than the austere "Ada Maria," but it still stays true to Young's style. On the other hand, the latter shows Young infusing a variety of guitar and vocal techniques into his style. It's very emblematic of the rest of the album, complete with Young's adenoidal voice, urgent guitar lines, and a few catchy hooks here and there. But, while Young's debut isn't necessarily bad, there's just so much of it going on around today that, at times, it gets lost in a sea of other, more adept acoustic artists.
Throughout the EP's five tracks, Young stays close to is influences, occasionally sauntering in and out of coffeehouses, reminding us of a new Bon Iver imitator, and even going back to the days of Bob Dylan. Granted, Young does go his own way on occasion, splashing his debut with punk and pop eccentricities, even practicing a few zany techniques here and there (fun fact: as a lefty, Young adjusted the strings on his right-hand guitar to accommodate his needs); however an overwhelming majority of his sound has been done before innumerable times. This isn't the release's only fault either. Some of
Beard Logic Riddles sounds incredibly puerile and tawdry, mostly due to Young's inconsistent voice. For the most part it's not inherently bad; perhaps it will turn off those who aren't fond of the reverberating style, but it's certain to turn off more than just that crowd, as it wavers and moves in and out of key, causing obnoxious results. However, this annoyance, as well as all of his other flaws are fixable with years of practice, in which time he can refine his sound and realize his full potential. For now though, we'll just have to accept the fact that while all Young's core ideas are present and accounted for, his execution needs work - not so much that it's beyond repair, but enough to cause anticipation within his audience.
