David Myles

David Myles's songs have always reflected a perfect world, one in which high school crushes blossom into lifetimes of happiness, where just saying the right words makes all your dreams come true and where the blues do not exist. Should he be completely dismissed for this? Of course not. His popularity, particularly in the Maritimes, proves he has an audience that's charmed by his completely non-threatening approach. However, on In The Nighttime, Myles's Archie Comics/Disney-fied view of life borders on delusional. On top of that, the smooth folk-pop sound he's unabashedly lifted from James Taylor makes it nearly impossible to stay awake past the fourth track. It was a good move, then, for Myles to add another disc to this collection, of collaborations with rapper Classified. (Remember their "Inner Ninja," the biggest selling rap single in Canadian history? Take that, Drake!) These tracks immediately jolted me back to realizing that this is some of the most irritating music I've heard in a long time. It makes Barenaked Ladies' recent work resemble Pet Sounds. Yes, it's easy for jaded critics to take pot shots at Myles, and I'm sure he expects them. While there's no doubt his music makes a lot of people feel good, as In The Nighttime proves conclusively, there's very little substance beneath the surface sheen.