David George - War Torn and Reborn

​David George

War Torn and Reborn
self-released; 2016

3.5 out of 5

By Jamie Funk

David George is an artist who has been around since the ’80s but his first album War Torn and Reborn was only recently released. He plays folk songs which revolve around at most a couple of guitars and a bass. The most unique thing about his songs are his vocals. He certainly has his own style of singing and to say it will immediately appeal to everyone would be a lie. 

At times he reminded me of Tom Waits because of the raspiness within his voice but his voice isn’t deep enough to be compared to Waits. All I can say is give it some time to sink in. It took me a couple of listens to come around to the tone of his voice. On top of that his vocals are way in the front in these mixes. HIs vocals are really the focal point and the strings serve his voice. 

He opens with “Where Do We Stand?” which is indicative of the relative sound of the remaining sounds. The guitars are soft and his voice is distinct. The song is melodic, a bit ambiguous yet simple in a number of ways. Next up is “Sun Disappears” which was  slowly starts to build the foundation of his sound.

Upon first listen I don’t think there is any denying that a lot of the songs bleed into each. The general feel and vibe feels identical on the songs. Light, melancholy, nostalgic and warm. Truth be told a lot of the songs are not about catchy hooks but the narrative and words. Take for instance “Near You” which paints a vivid picture of his imagination yearning to be close to someone or “Aftermath” which has odd questions about suicide. ”Darkness” is actually quite upbeat sounding despite the lyrics. “Swim or Sink” is the closer and is over six minutes long. It's the arguable highlight and even contains some light synths..

​War Torn and Reborn is a nuanced taste. This is an album that it’s hard to pinpoint who will enjoy because of the unique qualities. I’d say it would be good to take a listen but don’t be too hasty. He has a voice that may be a little jarring at first but grows on you with more listens.

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