Posted on: July 7, 2009 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

The very sedate sound of “Sole Provider” has an 80s sheen to it that taps equally the Mr. Mister and John Tesh feel; something that is equally innocuous and dulled-edge in impact. “More For You” continues the 80s feel by bringing a little Huey Lewis and the News to the general sound of the disc. There seems to be a weird set of production values on this disc that make the entire output by Coate glossy without having necessarily the smoothness proper for this smoothness.

By the time that the slightly Latin rhythms of “All I Have Is Yours” start up, what really comes to bear is the fact that there is little behind Coate’s vocals to succor listeners. Sure, there might be some chimes and bass lines during this track but both really seem ancillary instead of essential to the disc. There seems to be a desire to move beyond a guitar with tracks like “Deep And Wide”, but even with the increased role of both the piano and bass there still is something serious missing. The repetitious, similar-sounding structures present throughout really fail to keep individuals’ interest as Coate really tends to not give the listening bass enough to chew on. There is a little bit in the way of guitar during the aforementioned “Deep And Wide”, but aside from some structured guitar riffs toward the end of the track, the guitar work present is anemic and without much of a in-track referent. There seems to be some hope present in “Through Your Eyes”; the chorus is just a step away from success as a less-restrained, “noisier” one would have added much-needed energy to the track.

For those individuals who like more than their fair share of eighties rock, whether it be Spandau Ballet (Never Too Late) or Elvis Costello. While it is a strength that David comes from this tradition throughout the disc, one is hungering by the end of “All I Have Is Yours” for an updated song, whether it be for only one track or more. The style of music played here would be strong if done in the Ben Harper / Ben Kweller brand of college-rock. There are a few things that do stand out on “All I Have Is Yours”, but by and large the tracks tend to morph into one another without much in the way of experimentation. If you want praise, the album does great but honestly, the music contained within does suffer at times from a lack of instrumental vision.

Top Tracks: I Wonder, Through Your Eyes

Rating: 3.6/10

David Coate – All I Have Is Yours / 2005 Turning Point / 11 Tracks / http://www.davidcoate.com / http://www.tprecords.com / Reviewed 25 October 2005

[JMcQ]

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