David River - Empty House

This is an unusual one for us; it’s not an album. Introducing David River.

EMPTY HOUSE. Typically, our reviews are reserved just for LPs; not only do we love an album, but it also gives a better view of an artist. A full body of work shows their range and identity. Every so often, a track seems to stand up alone, and this, for us, was one of them.

What is immediately striking is the maturity of David’s vocal delivery and lyrical perspective, which seems to far outpace his chronological years. While the track stands on its own merits, the underlying context provides a much deeper understand and you know we love that context.

We know that artists often infuse their work with personal experience, but they don’t always stick the landing - this one does And we’re sat, seated, and sitting for it.

What hit us first was that the vocal profile has both an airy, vulnerable quality and has that raw power that we heavily associate with Lewis Capaldi. Our favorite thing about that is that it always favors an emotional transparency over that crisp perfection and overworked sound. Leaning into the subtle loss of the end of the word, the cracks in the delivery, while holding a roughness. It’s about what they’re the artist is telling, the how seems to matter less - but in the right way.

According to the press release:

“David's artistic path began during an incredibly challenging period in his life. The year his father passed away, a man he never had the chance to meet, became an unexpected catalyst for his creative expression. Grappling with profound grief and an inability to process such a unique loss, David turned to music as his sanctuary.”

Applying that to a third or fourth listen does give you the full scope of what the song means.

The intro to EMPTY RIVER carries a melodic style that we’ve seen recently with Mon Rovia. The space between the intro and where the vocals come in is minimal.

It feels like the production here is very disciplined; the intro, followed by stripped-back keys and vocals, was a good move. The vocals and keys interplay easily, neither one pushing, and the space created between them works well. The dynamic swell we are looking for arrives around the 0.43 mark, and eases you into the hook, and the structural integrity makes it feel like a payoff. You get what you want here.

By 1.37, the track is fully opened up, and the vocal arrangement here feels incredibly organic, and how David phrases things here, elongating with a rasp, feels close to James Arthur.

What we particularly enjoy is the ease with which the track is bookended, the intro and outro are mirrored. For use, we wished they lasted a few bars longer, because they bring a childhood nostalgia, without being on the nose.

We’re looking forward to more from David.