Review: David Olney : Dutchman’s Curve

Apr 9, 2010 Album Reviews

It amazes me how many people are not familiar with David Olney. This guy has been releasing killer Americana records for almost forty years and yet when you bring up his name, even in the company of learned music people, they have no clue who he is. Well let me tell you this guy is a treasure and this album is very, very good. I have probably listened to this record thirty times in a week.

Olney has a silky smooth voice, with a touch of grit. This album goes in out of different forms of music going from folky to country to some songs that would feel right at home on a 50′s pop rock record.

The opening track “Train Wreck” is a great tune. The woman whom the song is about is one we’ve all had the pleasure or pain of dating at some point in our lives. She is a train wreck but, we cannot seem to get away. Olney and his background vocalists combine to make the horn sound of a train which goes well with the feel of the locomotive that permeates the sound of the song. Another great song on this record is “I’ve Got a Lot on My Mind”, a song that has the protagonist, a self described “lazy so and so” being seduced by a woman who does not think he has much going on. I love the way this song drags you in with its feel and eventually Olney breaks into a broken tired scat that is amazing. Olney also finds it is heart to make this listener happy with a good old outlaw song. “Covington Girl” follows two brothers that ride off on the instruction of their mother to rob a train. I love certain kinds of songs which you will see definitely include the outlaw song and this is a good one. “Little Sparrow” is one of the songs that would be right at home in the 50′s, the background vocals recalls doo wop songs that were popularized at the time and Olney and crew pull it off flawlessly.

This is a great record and one that if you haven’t heard Olney before will be a great way to get turned on to him. It is officially released on April 13th so I suggest you go over to the about to be newly renovated David Only website and get your hands on it.

Tags: david olney, Reviews