Canadians homage to Beatle and Newman. Well, almost.
David Celia is considered one of Torontos most experienced independent artists having garnered a considerable fan base in his native Canada and even extending throughout the European mainland.
This brave troubadour is carving a niche all of his own which is mightily refreshing, even if the results arent as dazzling as they should be.
I Tried, is Celias third album and its self-produced, which is an impressive task, on top of the fact he has a knack of turning out some reasonable arrangements as well as some decent songs, with the odd one possessing radio-friendliness.
Core of his work are melodies and harmonies, along with some deft digital technique on guitar, where presented.
Pigeon-holing Celia is virtually impossible which is ok, because you never know whats coming next, via the ever-shifting musical styles.
Moving from opener Turnout, with its Beatles circa 1968 hue to the brass-fueled Randy Newman-tinged Wishful Thinking, track 3, takes some doing, but thats the nature of the beast here.
Sandwiched between them is the Gallic flavoured Severine, carried by a perky mandolin, pedal steel and shuffling sticks, and its sung in English which doesnt have quite the Gallic touch. Enter Belgian Sacha Toorop. Described as the delicate butterfly of pop Belgian (La Blogotheque) he finally does some justice to the song on the bonus track (13).
Sorry David, but its true. You just cant match his chic voice.
Track 4, It Tried rambles on aimlessly and could well have been dumped before the studio stage, (perhaps he should have tried even harder) but thankfully, Sergio restores a sense of purpose, though the Beatles- Newman pact, casts a very long shadow.
One of the catchiest tunes here is the mickey-taking Im Not Texan that shows Celias wit and versatility to a tee, as he fakes the Southern drawl to perfection, well to my ears anyway. Real Southerners might disagree.
Celia tries his best to make something of the song Crush, which seemed initially to have some potential but flounders miserably, and again Running Out Of Time with its pseudo Eastern nuances doesnt have what it takes.
Saving the day, the minimalist Life Is A Dream, turns out to be the killer song stripped back, a gorgeous vocal on the verge of snapping and deft bursts of flute make it a truly memorable moment.
Sadly there arent quite enough of those moments, though the album is pleasant enough without being challenging.
The verdict Interesting if nothing else.