Seasoned professional Dave Lebental tracks his life journey through the chapters of his bluesy new record The Long Player
After putting his music career on hold, Dave Lebental is back. 27 years since he made the decision to step away and raise a family, the musician has returned with an eleven track Americana dream.
Stepping into an entirely new world than the one he left behind, The Long Player navigates change, loss, growth and transcendence of time and meaning.
Opening with I’m Not Too Old, Dave kicks into a Billy Joel-esque groove. A perfect mission statement for the record at large, Lebental reaches out to his generation, and does so with enthusiasm and expertise.
It’s light yet loaded with sentiment, danceable and nostalgic; a line that Dave tows with precision.
The Next Train Out Of Town leans hard into the Country/Americana roots that Dave has spawned from.
A classic country notion of up and leaving town that meanders towards its destination. This track is calm and self-aware, a nod to several of Lebental’s decade old influences.
Bring It Around is atmospheric and sparse. Dave’s vocals take centre stage and his melancholy is somewhat contagious.
The production offers an immense clarity into the layered conception of Dave’s writing, something that has surely been harnessed over time.
With twang and dejection, Dave tackles unrequited romance with Monique. In Granite Meadow, Dave muses over nature with melodic reverence.
My Heart’s On Fire channels the 50s, an Elvis-like tone to the melody and a relentless piano progression. Painted Desert Sky and No One Else Can Do It blend old-school rock, blues, roots and country.
This seems to be where Dave is most at home, when he’s paying homage to the genres that made him.
Let’s Just Stay In Bed is a soft, acoustic piece. Dave’s voice is once again at the forefront, his tone shifting from that of commanding blues leader to gentle and reflective.
The album closes with What You Got, a tight shuffle beat with a piercing harmonica and brass section make for the highlight of the entire album.
This veteran rocker clearly still has much to say, and his time away from the stage has only emboldened his desire to be there.
Listen to The Long Player below.
