Songs For The Road - David Ford

...album, but hey, its 3 songs in one so I cant complain. 4/10 - 8/10 - 5/10 respectively.


So, to wrap this up, I would recommend this album to anyone, even if they didn't like the first album. There are a lot of different songs and styles on here and they all come with David Ford's unique and calming tones behind them. All in all, I'd say it was worth at least £7 of anybodies money. I can only think of one possible improvement; ... more

After listening to his debut album 'I Sincerely Apologise For All The Trouble I've Caused', I have to admit that I wasn't expecting too much from David Ford. Perhaps another slightly interesting album to have on in the background when you're bored, but nothing special surely... how wrong I was.

Ford has pulled out all the stops for this one: each track is beautifully arranged, well thought out and sang with an eerie passion that gives you chills from the outset.

Track Breakdown

1. Go To Hell: The strings in this first song really push my buttons. The song has a brilliant buildup, and the vocals are stunning, especially after the drums come in. A great choice to kick the album off, makes me smile every time, which is strange for a David Ford song :P 7/10

2. Decimate: A nice, and rare, upbeat number for the second track. Fast paced and slightly jazzy, with some interesting piano going off in the background. Lyrics are moving, and humorously middle class at points, but thats only cause I'm a northerner :) 8/10

3. I'm Alright Now: Another slightly epic strings accompanied piece, with tragic lyrics and a large buildup as with track one. A great song in my opinion, one of the best on the album, puts me in a strange motivated mood whenever I listen to it. 9/10

4. Song For The Road: A real masterpiece :D Piano led and extremely emotional as the song progresses. The lyrics are so simple but so wonderful, and are sang with great passion and emphasis, accompanied by a very interestingly arranged brass section, helping to build the song up slightly before it winds slowly down. 10/10

5. Train: Not my favorite song on the album, but certainly not dull or filler. The lyrics are a little weak in my opinion, but there is some nice harmonica playing at points. One of the more upbeat tracks of the album. 6/10

6. St. Peter: A nice ballad never hurt anyone :) I found this song ironic and tragic, even as an atheist, and the accompaniment is perfectly arranged, making it another one of my personal favorites, though the Bob Dylan style harmonica solo may not be to everybody's tastes. 9/10

7. Nobody Tells Me What To Do: Fast paced and uplifting, and always puts a smile on my face. I enjoy the vocals in this song enormously, Ford really goes for it and hits the spot throughout, with some great piano also. 7/10

8. Requiem: One of the more strange tracks, with a similar message to 'State of the Union' from his first album- one of being fed up with the establishment. Has a great buildup with a strong bass, and an explosion of drums and harmonica towards the end, but the vocals are slightly overcooked in that section for my liking. 6/10

9. ...And So You Fell/There Is A Light That Never Goes Out/Ashamed?: The 'final song' with two hidden tracks after it, making the total length nearly 18 minutes, including a large pause. 'And So You Fell' is a slow, acoustic guitar led song, with nothing very special about it in my opinion. The first hidden track, a cover of a Smiths song, however, is a different story. It has been covered in a much slower way than Morrisey and Co did it, but I think it really works- just vocals and a piano, and a lot of passion. This is followed by a song I don't know the name of, but it says 'ashamed' a lot so lets go for that :P Again, nothing major here, slow, would have felt at home on the debut album, but hey, its 3 songs in one so I cant complain. 4/10 - 8/10 - 5/10 respectively.

So, to wrap this up, I would recommend this album to anyone, even if they didn't like the first album. There are a lot of different songs and styles on here and they all come with David Ford's unique and calming tones behind them. All in all, I'd say it was worth at least £7 of anybodies money. I can only think of one possible improvement; some of the songs could have been made a little longer, especially the ballad style tracks like 'St. Peter', but other that that, brilliant. 

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