Clearly
David Yazbek is a showman, a theater man. His claim to fame is writing the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical The Full Monty. Prior, he wrote comedy for The David Letterman Show. He also has a couple of previous albums to his name. So it should come as no surprise that his album
Damascus, well, plays like a musical soundtrack, sans actors' dialogue. The set's opener, "Montgomery, Alabama," fools listeners into thinking, Finally! Some good old-fashioned rock & roll. The song screams with a rollicking piano, horn solos, and a raspy lead vocal by Yazbek. Then "Strange Warm Day" chimes in; it's reminiscent of
the Beach Boys' sublime Pet Sounds. On it, Yazbek's voice sounds like a hybrid of
Elvis Costello and
Brian Wilson. But these two songs are the first and last sign of non-theatrical fare audiences can expect on this disc, where he becomes an amalgam of
John Pizzarelli meets
Randy Newman. No doubt, Yazbek's voice is lovely. It is warm, mellow, and textured. And his lyrics are witty, satirical, off the beaten path, and detailed; they clearly demonstrate his writing prowess. (Case in point: "Sandy Koufax" -- "Is it hard to relate when you masturbate?/Is it difficult to feel the thunder?"). This isn't everyday songwriting, nor are these everyday song arrangements. Yazbek, honestly, is truly talented. But he shouldn't be doing straight music albums; they reek of show tunes, his obvious strength. And sometimes, audiences simply don't want to be sitting in an orchestra while listening to music in a car or from the couch. Yazbek would thrive in live jazz clubs or music-dinner venues, where his musical theatrics can be appreciated in an audience-oriented setting. Sometimes people just want to listen to regular music, you know? ~ Liana Jonas