David Ford - Songs for the Road

Genre indie-rock Publisher Original Signal External Links David Ford Website

David Ford's second album, Songs for the Road, is his second solo effort with Independiente Records. Formerly of the group Easyworld, Ford has entered now entered into a spotlight that is all his own. The 29 year old Dartford, Kent native plays an emotionally appealing brand of indie rock that features strings, guitars, and catchy melodies. Songs for the Road is 9 tracks of solid work, a nice balance between of good production and pleasant song writing.

The album's first cut is a politely appropriate greeting called 'Go To Hell'. The song begins with a string arrangement that is eventually joined by Ford's vocals. He casts himself in a story where he is the protagonist while he emotionally explains why. The songs main line is memorable and gets you humming, "Go To Hell" more gracefully than you ever have before. 'I'm Alright Now' is a inspirational song about hope and moving forward. Ford sounds like a vocally trained Bob Dylan at times during this song, although the music doesn't resemble the great folk artist as much. 'Nobody Tells Me What to Do' is one of Songs for the Road's best tracks. Characterized by the piano lead and Ford's straightforward lyrics, the song is individualistic in essence, but has a collective feel that people can identify with. Musically, it's nothing spectacular, but the chorus is quite catchy and has radio appeal.

The album's fifth song, 'And So You Fell' is a guitar ballad that I didn't really care for but only because of personal preference. People will like this song for its embellishment of mushy romantic metaphors and tear drop tones. 'St. Peter' begins as 'And So You Fell', under the arm of warm acoustic guitars. 'St. Peter' however is attractive for a much different reason. Ford sings this song with more conviction and a little bit more grit which gives it a sort of signature sound. The song features the always enjoyable harmonica and a nice yet subtle blues guitar fill. Structurally, the piano does a good job of following the melody of Fords vocals. 'Requiem' is like a one on one interview. The cut embodies elements of a folk style before it is greeted with symphonic like percussion and brass sounds which ultimately leads to an explosion of sound that is Songs for the Road's heaviest sound. The lyrics never stray far from the folk theme which makes the song's layout quite interesting. The album's title track, which is also its last, begins with Ford and his piano. The lyrics paint a vague picture of Ford's message but are not over convincing because they revert back to a typical theme. Another song about a girl told in a way that sounds like it might be something else is nothing new. However, the song is quite pretty and is remarkable for it's spontaneous feel, as if it were written and recorded on the spot.

Songs for the Road is a great album for people who like this sort of music and a mediocre album for people who don't. Ford does a good job of sticking to his guns and the production is better than average, but the album won't be converting too many new fans. Conversely, critics and David Ford enthusiasts should be quite satisfied with all nine tracks. Giving Ford the right credit is important. He writes his own music and does not lean on one particular thing to make his songs enjoyable; this is something many artists of this genre cannot do successfully.