DAV!D&CLARA have been on an amazing creative surge that shows no signs of abating. The album titled “Adventures in Love, Lust, and Life”, marks another decisive turning point in David Castillo life-experience cycle, coalescing into a conceptual album -in which the title is pretty emblematic and self-explanatory -every bit as fascinating as anything he has done before.
Anyone who has read my reviews knows my musical tastes run the gamut from Classical to Heavy Metal. There are only two kinds of music in my world – good and bad. DAV!D&CLARA is enough of an artist to have both an original voice and be accessible at the same time. And when I say accessible, I don’t mean there are not parts on “Adventures in Love, Lust, and Life”, that won’t get a listener’s blood pumping or put their nerves on high. I mean accessible in the best sense -strong melodies and lyrics, yet with enough depth to reward repeat listens.
The overall timbre and atmosphere of the album is similar to DAV!D&CLARA’s previous two albums, mainly due to the fact that David feels he has found his personal signature sound –heavy, growling 80’s-90’s sounding synths and electronic drums filled with overcast rolling toms, resembling a Mash-up between electro legends, Gary Newman and Depeche Mode – which he is exploring to its fullest.
As always with DAV!D&CLARA works, don’t try to judge the album on only one or two listens. Unless you’re some kind of genius, you can’t do it. The music is too layered and varied rhythmically and lyrically to be able to pick up everything all at once. I had to listen to it at least 4 times before I could begin to anticipate all of the songs subtleties. And I still may have got it all wrong. As I did on the last album!
Fact is David Castillo is a cool guy who fully accepts opinions and interpretations of his music. I remember writing that his last album, “H/U/M/A/N/”, was “A mix of melancholic ambiance, power-synths and minimal industrial sounds.” David wrote me, saying that the songs actually came from a happy place within his life, but that he appreciated and accepted my interpretation of the music.
The funny thing is I sense that same ‘sullen’ aura throughout the songs here! Only this time around, I think I’ve finally worked out why. Its DAV!D’s vocals! He has a deep, sulky timbre (which I adore by the way), capable of making “Jingle Bells” sound like “Silent Night”. Practically everything DAV!D’s voice touches becomes dramatically resonant and somber. I think he could sing “Three Blind Mice” and make it sound as important as Martin Luther King’s famous freedom speech.
DAV!D actually states that he considers himself first and foremostly a songwriter, and then a singer. I think that his singing style should be another great original accomplishment to add to his already original music style. Apart from the fact that they were both brilliant poets and songwriters, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed built entire careers on ‘uncommon’ singing voices.
Having said that, the more you listen to the 8 tracks that make up, “Adventures in Love, Lust, and Life”, the more its beauty, intense passion and lyrics start to make sense. I cannot stop listening to it. I love each and every one of the songs in a different way. I even found the tangy four letter words, infused here and there, provocatively exiting; as I did, the challenging, sexual exploratory lyrics in “Experiment”.
My favorite tracks among the bunch are “Glam”, “Heart drops”, “Pure” and “Starcrossed”. But I’ll need another 2 more pages to analyze these for you, so you’ll do better with your time to hop over and Pre-order this album which should be coming out on Valentine’s Day.
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