For over six years now, David Boone has been entertaining the cafes, coffeehouses & bars of the hip college town of Missoula, Montana, and the surrounding Northwest region. With a solid foot in the folk tradition of storytelling, Boone effortlessly straddles the fence between pop, rock & blues without ever compromising originality or authenticity. His melodic phrasing- delivered with an easy voice- begs listeners to follow along on a journey of personal highs & lows. Seeing Boone live is like stepping right into his personal diary where he openly explores doubts, beliefs, spirituality & romance with the weight that each deserves. One of the highlights of Boone's song writing is how deftly he mimics the emotion of the lyrics with his vocals. Within one song, he easily goes from the soft, pure smoothness of a ballad to the sometimes strained wailing of heightened angst. One listen to Boone & you know he's the real deal, stemming from the lineage of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan &, more recently, Jack Johnson & Counting Crows. Touring nationally with Seattle percussionist James Wasem, the duo joins to create a sound of intricate, yet balanced, rhythm and melody – striking a chord with the roots of folk rock.
Sometimes humorous, sometimes philosophical, but always relevant, Boone is like poetry put to music--a true voice for the modern, wandering & wondering soul.
CRITICS REVIEW THE MUSIC:
As one of Missoula's most prolific and talented musicians, it's David's honesty,
his transparency, that makes his work shine. In his latest, Hard Enough to
Bend, it is more and more present in his voice as he sings about poverty,
love, war and loss. He blends styles in Hard Enough to Bend showcasing his
progression while maintaining his acoustic roots. Reminiscent of Ryan Adams
on this album, he uses his signature lyrical prowess and adaptability to take
a traditional folk-like feel and turn it into something modern and vibrant
-- distancing himself from the run-of-the-mill coffee shop singer-songwriter.
David continues to amaze with his ability to stay open and raw while simultaneously
challenging new sounds and styles -- song after song, album after album.
- (Courtney Lowery - New
West Missoula)
In its overarching simplicity, “Hard Enough to Bend” manages to
channel the best of Boone: his remarkably expressive voice, his gift for soaring
melody and his knack for poetic lyrics.
- (Joe Nickell – The
Entertainer)
Though all his albums (acoustic and electric) radiate heart-on-the-sleeve
sincerity, David Boone’s newest recording has—in addition to candor—a
sense of emotional and instrumental focus. The songs delve into sorrowful
tales matched by minor chords, but Boone is an inventive guitar player and
deft enough at storytelling that the weight of dark issues doesn’t drown
out his reverence for a life lived fully.
It’s the stark contrasts that give the album texture and cohesion: small
town pleasures of Seeley Lake are inextricably coupled with the reality of
an alcoholic father, and people who harden themselves to love find that hard
veneers are the most fragile of all. Everyone has heard these themes before.
What personalizes Hard Enough to Bend are the details. Lyrical turns like
“I grew up on the outskirts of heaven” followed by “you’d
be surprised but I ain’t never going back” show a Springsteen-like
awareness of what home really means. And when he finishes the song “Norfolk
Bay,” Boone doesn’t just fade out, you can hear him stand up and
walk out still playing his guitar. It’s a recording detail that mimics
the album’s refreshing composition and unapologetic frankness.
- (Erika Fredrickson – Missoula
Independent)
Boone's not quite your average singer-songwriter. Yes, he's got the wonderful,
sweet voice typical of all those oh-so-trendy bigger names like Jack Johnson
and Ben Harper. But he doesn't always use his "instrument" the way
they do. He does sing lovely, melting melodies. But he also howls and moans
in terse angry bursts then brings it down to a riff or a gentle melody for
a roller coaster ride. Even "Tuesday Night" — the best tune
off his release Ignore The Orange Hand — starts out soft and sultry
with a catchy little melody, then explodes out with a stricken, emotion-laden
chorus at the end. An added bonus is that Boone doesn't stick to one sound
either, incorporating rollicking country beats and occasionally, hard rock
distortion and punk-influenced angst.
- (Melissa Bearns – Eugene
Weekly)
At 24 years of age, singer/songwriter David Boone is fast becoming one of
Missoula’s most prodigious musical talents. Not to mention prolific:
Ignore The Orange Hand is his third album in less than two years, and that’s
not counting the other three records he recorded with his band, Open To Closure.
Boone’s lyrics are poetic and his melodies are simple and infectious.
- (Yogesh Simpson – Missoula
Independent)
"True poetry put to song". - (Erika Parfit - The
Entertainer)
Boone’s prodigious output doesn’t come at the expense of quality
songwriting. Boone seems to innately recognize how to develop music for the
different idioms. With his effortlessly appealing tenor and thoughtful lyrics,
fans of bands like the Jayhawks, Counting Crows, or Guster will find Boone’s
more aggressive, acoustic guitar-driven folk-rock right up their alley.
Boone’s solo material is both gorgeous and soulful. Set against nothing
but acoustic guitar, Boone’s voice is given ample room to explore the
full range of emotion; and it does so, time and again.
- (Joe Nickell – The
Entertainer)
Listen to the NPR "Musician's Spotlight"
interview by
John Floridis here.
Originally aired on Missoula's KUFM
91.5 FM
(Note: this is a 30-minute audio file, right-click to save
as a MP3.)
Feature story from the Entertainer,
August 18th 2005.
( Click on the cover to read it.)
