Tom Semioli – Minor 7th

Dave Dill dispels the dilemma of boring us all to death with yet another singer-songwriter album within the first few melancholy seconds of this engaging collection which echoes the adventurous spirit of Tim Buckley and the lyrical inventiveness of a Fred Neil, Sandy Denny, or Warren Zevon. Employing suspended chords, atmospheric voicings, and understated melodies, Dill's autumnal and sophisticated songs are top rate, and he delivers them with passion and conviction. "When You're Beautiful" is both bitter and worshipful as Dill punctuates his anger with a loving falsetto. Humor and irony walk hand in hand in "Losers," and the title track, which kicks off the disc, exudes a surrealistic beauty which never lets up. Dill renders all the instruments on this outing, and though his lead guitar work is thoughtful/economical and his rhythm playing is stellar, he could have benefited greatly with the input of a non-partisan rhythm section. Highly recommend for fans of Thom Yorke, Nick Drake, Gwynneth Paltrow's new boyfriend (Chris Martin).