CD Review: The Stone – David Olney

12 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on CD Review: The Stone – David Olney

 

The Stone – David Olney (Deadbeet Records, 2012)

 

Whichever label you use to describe David Olney, it’s not enough. If you introduce him as a ‘folk artist’, people won’t be prepared for the humor and dry wit. If you say ‘singer-songwriter’, the energetic live performance might come as a shock.

On new album, The Stone, his 23rd project, Olney retells, as you can gather from the cover art and song titles, a rather famous story. The six songs function as separate chapters and each track switches the point of view to another actor in the tale. We hear from a con man, a thief, a soldier, a donkey. Each is allowed to simply tell their story without the burden of it having to confirm or deny anything; the listener is free to make up their mind. Added to the mix are Sergio Webb’s classical guitar, Jack Irwin’s percussion and Dave Roe’s bass.

David Olney, a sophisticated storyteller who can stand shoulder to shoulder with James McMurtry, uses his narrative talent to full effect here. Retelling the Christian Easter story in a way which is engaging and surprising is an incredible feat of songwriting. Using 21st-century language to tell a 1st-century story, on ‘Brains,’ is imaginative and is just one of the rhetorical devices used. Because of its intelligence, The Stone is equally captivating to listeners of different faiths, or even the non-religious; it is simply wonderful storytelling.

 

The Stone track list:
1. Jerusalem Tomorrow
2. Brays
3. Brains
4. Flesh and Blood
5. Barabbas
6. A Soldier’s Report

To pick up your copy of The Stone, please visit davidolney.com

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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