A Birthday Gift for Myself!

Well, Soul David, today is my birthday, and I’m in that in-between feeling of glee and fear: glee to have made it for another year and fear that I’m getting old!

Go figure!

At the very least, I will count my blessings, treat myself, and just take the day easy before my friends take me out for a birthday dinner this evening.

Part of the “treating” of myself entailed buying David’s Forevermore album once it was made available on iTunes (sorry, but those other websites selling the CD I did not recognize and I’ve got issues entering my credit card info any and everywhere online). At least I already have an established account with itunes.

Anyhow, I was starting to feel like a “bad fan” because I couldn’t get excited about this Forevermore album – despite David’s vanishing act for two years. Not because I’m allergic to an album full of ballads (I’ve been aching for such an album from David for “forever”!) but because the music quality sounded trite to me. I’m of the opinion that The Voice deserves the best treatment, and I was convinced from the song leaks (especially from the leaked title track) that the album was a rushed job filled with the cheesy cheese, as captured in sentimental fluff pieces like “Forevermore.”

Well, with David now out of our sphere and in another one this week, and sadness and nostalgia kicking in, along with the news that the album was available for purchase on itunes, I finally gave in and downloaded Forevermore.

I’m so glad that I did and that I have new David music to accompany my birthday celebration! 🙂

I still don’t like the title track – and the bonus instrumental version of “Forevermore” is even worse since the only thing that made that tune bearable (the Voice) is missing from it! – but everything else is really good.

David just has that ache in his Voice, you know? It’s that vulnerability that just enters into your heart and makes you swoon. It’s most audible in songs like “I’ll Never Go,” “Tell Me,” “Wherever You Are,” and “Maybe.”

I’m torn between “I’ll Never Go” and “Maybe” as my favorite tracks, and “Rainbow” is the most interesting in having that laid-back quality.  Of course, “I’ll Never Go” reminds me of some contemporary Christian song but I’m having trouble pinpointing which one it resembles.

“Tell Me” and “Maybe” have that sad “Apologize”/”My Kind of Perfect” aspect to them. I’m absolutely loving it that this album is less about “inspirational music” and more about “heartache” and pleading.  Talk about keeping his fanbase waiting on hands and knees for his return!

I swear David knows exactly what he’s doing when dealing with us. 😉

Other highlights include “Reaching Out,” which has a more soulful vibe, and it vaguely reminds me of a Michael Jackson ballad, like “She’s Out of My Life,” and “Hold On,” another heartbreaker.

Knowing that an album of covers is also coming later this year, I’m excited once again that David was so generous to give us his Voice before he left to devote to his personal and spiritual growth.

We couldn’t have asked for a better idol, and I’m grateful for this little gem he gave us.

Too bad the album cover art looks so amateurish.