David Lane - Head In TheClouds

Mon 21st Sep, 2009 in Music Reviews

David Lane is a singer-songwriter from Sydney perhaps best known for his Triple J hit from the early noughties, Goodbye Rollercoaster, and his work as keyboardist for Toni Collette & The Finish. In 2009 he offers us his fourth solo album, Head In The Clouds.

The songs on this record were years in the making and eventually metamorphosed over time. They were sitting in a partially recorded but unfinished state back in 2007 and were almost at risk of never seeing the light of day. Thankfully, Lane’s friend Amanda Brown from The Go-Betweens stepped in as a muse and creative catalyst directing Lane and ultimately helping him craft the finished product. The result is that an exceptional lineup of musicians including Brown on mandolin, keys and vocals, plus: Abby Dobson (Leonardo’s Bride),
Naomi Radom (CODA), Richard Boxhall, Dean Manning (Leonardo’s Bride), David Galafassi (Toni Collette & The Finish), Jim Elliott (The Cruel Sea) and Pete Farley (Toni Collette & The Finish) contribute to the tracks.

David Lane is poised with either a piano or guitar and is in fine form delivering his sweetly melodious pop songs. The title track and opener is catchy and has single stamped all over it, because musically it sits somewhere between the likes of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles.

Things get a little maudlin on the subsequent, Mother Earth, where – you guessed it – climate change is the topic of the day. Tell Me You Care picks up the pace by offering some exuberant and feel good pop, borrowing a little inspiration from Crowded House’s World Where You Live.

End Of The Road boasts some of Bluebottle Kiss’ breezy guitar work. Meanwhile, Morning Sun is like a cross between The Easybeats’ I’ll Make You Happy and a gorgeous Paul Kelly composition. Treasure Map gives a subtle nod towards Procol Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale. And Dawn Mystique could be an Alex Lloyd song, if the latter chose to sing more piano-driven pop folk.

David Lane described the album as: “Like me, it’s very imperfect but hopefully worth a listen or two.” Lane is clearly as modest about his music as the actual stuff itself. At times Head In The Clouds seems like a film soundtrack- music that is subtle and introspective, yet obviously serves a greater purpose without being too showy. At its best, it is emotionally arresting as it tugs at your heartstrings but achieves this while creeping up on you, and this results in an extremely rewarding and pleasurable listening experience.