Description

David left Newfoundland for Toronto some years back and has been honing his craft in the big city since then. Drawing from experiences in a densely populated urban city has certainly given him a unique perspective having come from such a relatively small city like St. John’s. David Picco is a fantastic songwriter. He is unashamedly autobiographical and has an ability to paint beautifully vivid portraits of everyday life and the relationships that happen within it. Themes of love, loss and grief are prevalent but there is a stark and lovely sadness to the record that creates a charm and warmth. Stylistically, this self-titled record is steeped in the traditions of roots-rock, folk, alt-country and Americana. His sound could be likened to a stripped down, acoustic, Wilco a la “Mermaid Avenue”. The album is incredibly heart-on-sleeve and the openness and sincerity of David’s performance is brimming throughout. The album was recorded, for the most part, while home attending his mother’s funeral. Tracked in three days at the Lab of Chaos by Krisjan Leslie and performed by David, brother Chris Picco, bassist, Matthew Hender, Jimmy Rose and drummer, George Morgan, the record teems with emotion and a vulnerability that may or may not have been circumstantial. Regardless of the situations it arose from, the beauty of the record is undeniable.