David Newberry
Album: Desire Lines
Label: Northern Electric
Tracks: 5
Website: http://www.davidnewberry.ca

David Newberry has an unusual path into music, taking up the guitar as physiotherapy to help regain use of his hand following a construction accident. That lead him into song writing and eventually his debut album, "When We Learn The Things We Need To Learn" and more recently "No One Will Remember You", a release that has now been superseded by a new EP, "Desire Lines".

His style is starting to be called, 'Critical Canadiana', which seems to have a lot in common with its American sibling, but arguably with a more poetical approach to the lyric, though it may be as much a dig at Canada's smaller neighbour, either way Newberry seems to have a style that seems to value the way the words are delivered almost as must as the words themselves.

That's not to say that this tries to be too clever and ends up disappearing up its own ass, far from it, it's definitely more an emphasis, an accent if you like. There were times when I found myself thinking of both David Byrne and Peter Gabrielle and whilst not being quite like either, there is something about the style of delivery that captures that sense of jaded cynicism.

David Newberry is an insightful songwriter, a good sense of observation and the ability to make a story of it, is always a good combination. As they say it's an ill wind that blows no good, it's a shame that more construction accidents don't have this lucky outcome. Enjoy.

Neil King