David Myles's Leave Tonight is a trip through the Nova Scotian songwriter's full range: love songs — in spades — with a few peppy riffs of bluesy pop. It's easy-listening music from a rosy world where a double bass, string section and piano plunk out love songs and sing-along toe-tappers.
For Myles's long-time fans, the album is a delightful romp in familiar territory with a few new landmarks, but there's little to entice new fans who aren't yearning for soft love ballads. At best, he's a troubadour for the moist-eyed lover, but Leave Tonight often relies on cloying tropes that might turn away all but the lovesick.
The title track sets us up with two lovebirds out on the town. It's a sweet song, but like many that follow — "For the First Time" or "Loving You is Easy" — Myles offers simple, uninspired love songs which could be understood in their entirety from their titles alone. These songs get by on Myles's deep, resonant, voice and catchy choruses. On closer look, the lyrics play it safe, giving surface level glimpses into hallmark love stories ("I don't wanna rush away, I just wanna say here my whole life," or "I can't believe that I'm weak in the knees").
But songs like "Home," where Alan Jeffries' acoustic guitar shines, showcase Myles's skill in crafting songs around earworms. It's a fun, upbeat airy song about finding community in the people and places around us. It's followed by the best of the album, recent single "Kind of Like It." It's hard to stop one's feet from tapping along to zesty guitar riffs — with nods to the Grateful Dead — and Myles's smooth vocals, which pay homage to the joys of fast livin'.
Myles writes and sings peaceful ballads, undeniably smooth and resonant, but the tracks on Leave Tonight are all sweet songs that sway towards repetition rather than exploring new territory.
(Independent)For Myles's long-time fans, the album is a delightful romp in familiar territory with a few new landmarks, but there's little to entice new fans who aren't yearning for soft love ballads. At best, he's a troubadour for the moist-eyed lover, but Leave Tonight often relies on cloying tropes that might turn away all but the lovesick.
The title track sets us up with two lovebirds out on the town. It's a sweet song, but like many that follow — "For the First Time" or "Loving You is Easy" — Myles offers simple, uninspired love songs which could be understood in their entirety from their titles alone. These songs get by on Myles's deep, resonant, voice and catchy choruses. On closer look, the lyrics play it safe, giving surface level glimpses into hallmark love stories ("I don't wanna rush away, I just wanna say here my whole life," or "I can't believe that I'm weak in the knees").
But songs like "Home," where Alan Jeffries' acoustic guitar shines, showcase Myles's skill in crafting songs around earworms. It's a fun, upbeat airy song about finding community in the people and places around us. It's followed by the best of the album, recent single "Kind of Like It." It's hard to stop one's feet from tapping along to zesty guitar riffs — with nods to the Grateful Dead — and Myles's smooth vocals, which pay homage to the joys of fast livin'.
Myles writes and sings peaceful ballads, undeniably smooth and resonant, but the tracks on Leave Tonight are all sweet songs that sway towards repetition rather than exploring new territory.
