David Storey Reviewed in ‘Canada In Tune’ Magazine

David Storey – movin on Review by Bjorn Chardi

I’m not sure how old David Storey is exactly but based on the photograph on this ep’s cover we can assume he’s not a teenager. I mention this because time, age and maturity seem to be the big themes here and David Storey seems to struggle with them in ways that create a dichotomy in his music and persona between a weathered man and an angsty teen.

The opening track “The Greatest” starts off with folky finger picked guitar and then Storey’s distinct vocals come in: “let’s go down to main street and hock a goober off the bridge” …the song then goes on to depict more childhood hijinks his buddy and he got into, but told in the present tense. In the second verse, also in the present tense, we learn that said buddy is married and diagnosed with cancer. Both eras and both mindsets are equally present at the same time, as tends to happen when one recalls their childhood friends later in life.

I mentioned Storey’s vocals earlier and that is the other anachronistic dichotomy one must struggle with when listening to this disc. His voice is gravely and a bit uneven as if it has seen years of abuse by smoking and hard liquor but his delivery is full of passion and driven in a way one usually associates with younger punk/emo singers. His melodies are dynamic and require a level of vocal acrobatics he doesn’t always pull off, but these moments are usually accompanied by dead on harmonies that sweeten and smooth over the rough edges nicely.

There is a lot of humor in the lyrics, depicting the challenges of everyday life in a very unromanticized way. You don’t always know whether to laugh or pity Storey’s stories, because they very well may be your own. This is a challenging listen and likely an acquired taste, like scotch. But when the day comes you find yourself reflecting on the type of man your inner child has become this will be the ideal soundtrack.
RIYL: Bob Schneider, Mike Ness, Conor Oberst