David Vandervelde: Waiting for the Sunrise

Label: Secretly Canadian

Waiting for the Sunrise, the second full-length offering from Michigander-turned-southerner David Vandervelde, leaves no questions as to its ancestry. Smacking of Alex Chilton-ish early-70s power pop, later-era Beatles and Neil Young (particularly the guitar work), the album rides the fine line between influence and derivation. The end result is a collection of songs begging for a cross-country drive so they can be experienced in their proper setting. Soulful, sometimes sad, and almost unnervingly catchy, Waiting for the Sunrise should carve a place into the most discerning record collection. The album as a whole comes off as earnest but complex; each song is handled with care and craftsmanship and is given the room to grow and evolve organically. This is a must-have for fans of Vandervelde’s previous work, and certainly a great introduction for those less informed. (Joe)