DAVID BERKELEY > Strange Light

David Berkeley sings in the voice of a ‘70s pop-folk performer and writes songs to match, and Strange Light contains a couple of inspired moments.

DAVID BERKELEY
Strange Light
(STRAW MAN)
[Rating: 3 stars]

David Berkeley sings in the voice of a ‘70s pop-folk performer and writes songs to match, and Strange Light contains a couple of inspired moments. “Hurricane” is a big, dramatic, careful number that justifies its five-minute length-sort of post-Abbey Road folk music, if you will. “Willis Avenue Bridge” benefits from a tart arrangement; it’s a great Sunday-morning car song. Brian Deck’s production adds backward guitars and a slightly jazzy sensibility to Berkeley’s big, solid, careful songs. Sounds like Berkeley has been hanging out down South-don’t miss the swinging pop-gospel of “Sweet Auburn.”