David Tucker – David Tucker (EP Review)

Art that has the most essential and powerful feelings behind it tend to resonate with people, regardless of where they come from or what background they possess. If you put your authentic self into your work, an audience will eventually come to your beck and call, even if it takes a long time. That’s the genuine feeling I get from today’s artist that the review will consist of.

Meet the tenacious and everlasting David Tucker.

If you’re unaware of who he is, he has already established somewhat of a name for himself in the world of country music. Hailing from Kentucky, this release marks a wonderful comeback from a turbulent and challenging period in his life, marked by the diagnosis of a rare autoimmune disease as well as a serious car accident that was almost fatal. Because of these excruciating events, he had to put his own lifeline, his music career on hold and he’s back with a vengeance through his music. This terrible period in his life left him with a newfound faith in himself and a dogged determination to give his all.

This release, self-titled, marks his debut EP. A whirlwind of emotions, including pride, mark the release as David himself had doubts that he’d ever get to this point of his life. The EP is also more than merely just releasing music, it is an auditory tapestry of opening up about his personal journey while giving listeners an authentic and intimate look into the highs and lows that he’s encountered throughout this phase of his life.

David Tucker is also praised for his skills in songwriting and as well as his prodigious multi-instrumental skills, landing him recognition from the likes of PEOPLE Magazine, CMT as well as American Songwriter.

The EP was also co-produced with longtime collaborator Jake Saghi and also features some of Saghi’s songwriting skills. Some of the songwriting credits can also be attributed to diverse individuals such as Nathan Chapman, Driver Williams and Francis Collins.

Tucker is quoted by stating that “My experiences have taught me that the toughest times in life can often give rise to the most powerful stories, and I believe this EP is full of them,” added Tucker. “From grief, love and heartbreak to tragedy and the pain of physical trauma, these are songs with themes that are relatable to so many. But they also offer a powerful reminder that inside all of us is a fiery resilience to overcome, and it’s my hope that anyone who is facing their own unique struggles will find inspiration in them.”

Upon the first few seconds of listening to this EP, it is quite clear that the motif of strength, wisery and experience truly graces the album. It is a body of work that stuns with a myriad of emotions, from sadness to strength. I can definitely sense Tucker’s skill for songwriting, as the compositional aspects of this EP is truly stunning. It’s no John Cage, but there’s a cohesiveness that I can definitely appreciate from the standpoint of the pop-country genre.

Actually, this EP goes beyond merely ‘pop-country’. It possesses cinematic aspects, as well as tinges of blues and ballads as well. Tucker’s earnest voice is complemented with the soothing croon of the background vocalists, embellishing each and every note that he utters. His vocal range is also pretty commendable, as he seamlessly glides between the highs and the lows- not just through his struggles and peaks, but also through the notes that he chooses. There is a vulnerability to his vocals, that is nicely balanced by the strength of the vocalists.

My personal favourite pick from this album is ‘Water It Down’, which is also the track that chronicles his horrible car accident and his rise from it. The whole journey plays itself out within the song, as notes of strength and rising up are uttered throughout the song- from the song structure to the mastering. It really does pack a punch, even for someone like me who usually would not gravitate to such a genre. When you have the ability to convert others into your own art form, that’s usually a sign of excellent artistry. There are also signs of cross-genre versatility within this album, through the slight Latin guitar flair of ‘Fighting Over Sheets’.

The other songs in the EP as just as powerful, as it blends aspects of hard rock with an otherwise harmonious instrumental to amp up the soul and the intensity of the track. I have to say, one of the most impressive aspects of this release is the mastering. It ties the whole EP together independently of the songwriting and the mere timbre of the instruments. It is so well-mastered that I think that this aspect truly helped the release to be universally appealing. The producers definitely had an eye, or shall I say, ear, for the way the instruments and vocal stems gel together. There’s a lot of reverb, echo and punchiness to balance each aspect up, making it where none of the tracks ‘fade into the background’. They really pop up like a three-dimensional musical world.

Overall, I think this release deserves praise. It is a very well-done body of work, with enough musical competency to appeal to both people who focus on instrumentals and people who tend to gravitate towards vocals. A wonderful job.

Score/Good: ‘David Tucker’ is a wonderful EP with a ferocity to it that marks the tenacity behind each and every track on the album. It also has splendid mastering, enough to draw anyone from any corner of their music preference to definitely stop and take a listen to the track. It also bears blissful, gliding vocals, gelling the whole body of work together to produce a competent body of work.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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