Search - David Poe :: Love Is Red

Poe gets in the groove

wm | ...onward....thru the fog! | 08/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't listened to Poe's previous record "the late album" for a while, but remember it evoking what its title suggests....an album meant to be listened to in the late hours. That album always made me think of a sexy, dimly lit, late night lounge with a jazzy band playing in the shadows, where most people were too absorbed in their own paramours to pay much attention to the music. The opening track of "Love is red" starts where "the late album" left off, with that same, smoky, moody feel. But then, something totally different happens. As the record progresses, Poe gets into a wicked, mildly psychedelic groove that recalls nothing so much as Nirvana's final live show "MTV unplugged in New York" which was recorded just weeks before Cobain's untimely demise. That show was a departure for Nirvana, in that they deconstructed their own songs, turning them into intense, more quiet psychedelic songs instead of the loud, feedback riddled electric feel of the originals. On "love is red", Poe's voice sounds eerily similar to Cobain's on several of the tracks. "The late album" was great for certain moods. "Love is red", on the other hand, is an album you can groove on anytime, and on balance, is a much better record than its predecessor (unless, of course, lounge jazz is your thing). One can only hope this new direction is a sign of things to come from Poe."

Another amazing effort by Poe...

That Girl | Hollywood, Ca | 09/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Such an amazing album.. It's exactly the type of music you want to just listen to while sipping a glass of wine and smoking a cigarette.



The best song on this album is So Beautiful.. David just keeps getting better with each effort he puts forth. The whole sound of the album ranges from Jazz to Folk. He blends both styles into a wonderful audio sensory experience.



For any David Poe fans please visit the David Poe Message Board. http://com2.runboard.com/bdavidpoe"

A melange of subtle spices.

spiral_mind | Pennsylvania | 12/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"That description may be a tad dramatic, but it's a good summary of this guy Poe's music. Lyrically he comes from the wry sardonic tradition of Richard Thompson and Warren Zevon, but musically the sound also draws from David Sylvian and Morphine with touches of Nick Drake (a blend that's perfectly suited to his velvety voice). Wrap all those influences into a smoky/mellow acoustic brew that remains intelligent and avoids sounding derivative, serve chilled with a tasteful cham-PAN-ya, and you've got Love Is Red. This disc is missing the fun & laughs of a live DP show, but otherwise it's got the same warm intimate feeling down pat.. and it's his finest album yet.



It does leave one wishing for more - a couple songs are repeated from past albums and the whole still doesn't pass 35 minutes - but it's all solid from start to finish. The tunes sit somewhere between smooth jazz (I mean 'smooth' a-la Miles, not the laughable Kenny Gs that have given the term a bad name) and soft pop, with other subtle touches such as the Spanish-tinged title track. The production is perfectly understated; some backing bass and drums is really all that's needed. The lyrics are subtly witty and the whole experience is an alluring treat for folks of almost all musical tastes. It's a beautiful disc you can play around your spouse, your friends or your parents. Here's hoping his next album (which he says will be "a record about God and porn") doesn't take another four years to see the light of day.. or more likely the dim-lit glow of night."