Halifax, Nova Scotia’s David Myles is a singer, songwriter, and music aficionado; he has a great library of music to date his tenth album, Leave Tonight, has a theme and mood that feels like a journey through the seasons of life, reminiscing about the days of old.
If you were to compare Myles to other musicians, it can be said he sounds like a blend of James Taylor, Jack Johnson, and Mason Jennings. You can hear it in the opening track, “Leave Tonight,” a calming, well-crafted song.
“Cynthia,” the second track, is upbeat with a touch of Latin rhythm. You can’t help but sway to and fro, caught in it’s underlying sound, kissed by violins.
Dreamy, like a Monet painting, while sounding like a cowboy waltz is “Consider this Goodbye,” a driving electric guitar riff and a bluesy road trip song. “Kind of Like It” blends instruments and vocals into a tune that you can’t resist tapping your feet to.
Leave Tonight, just as the seasons do, changes fluidly, feeling like a walk in the park in fall, becoming upbeat in the middle like spring and summer, and then lulls us into winter with strong emotions. “Can’t Look Away” is the sound of a memory drifting down a river, and “Young Again” is a contemplative tune.
The last track,“Weight,” is exactly that – a weight bearing down on your shoulders, pensive. For nearly 50 seconds before Mr. Myles sings, there’s just a haunting, echoing tone that slowly sets listeners into a place to really feel and understand the lyrics of this song – a beautifully orchestrated piece about the passing of David’s father.
There is something that happens to a listener when exposed to good music. Like all great art, a connection is created and the artist’s work evokes emotions that a listener has as well or can imagine.
“Remember this,” Leave Tonight says to us. It seems to be a statement about leaving tonight in the past and moving on towards your future. One way to do that is to confront your feelings, allow yourself to have a reaction – no matter what kind – and then bring them to life through any kind of medium.
David Myles chose song as his medium, he shared his story, and created something that we can all remember.