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CD REVIEW: David Alyassin - Racecar
By Brett Thompson - 05/24/2005 - 09:39 AM EDT

Artist: David Alyassin
Album: Racecar
CD Review: David Alyassin's new record Racecar, proves that you can’t judge a book, or should I say album, by its cover. The cover in question sees an illustration of a scantily clad vixen gazing suggestively at the viewer and alludes, through attitude alone, to a raw, industrial, largely electronic sound that one would listen to in expectation of a good night out.

I’m intrigued.

To my confusion this wasn’t to be the case. A conflicting image ensued. Synthesisers were replaced by acoustic guitars, drums were not driven by computers and tempo was paced at recline, not rave. It became apparent that this wasn’t going to be the journey I was anticipating and strangely that expectation (albeit stereotypical) took a while to shake when listening to the early tracks on this LP.

This perhaps raises an interesting point on the importance of careful planning when it comes to the image an artist or band would like to promote to the public, as this element is almost as important as the music itself. People need to be drawn in by the source that provides them with the music they are curious to listen too. Obviously this interest is cemented by a quality recording, but first impressions are lasting. I encourage Alyassin to refine his, to bring it better into line with his punk influenced, soft rock style.

Image aside, Racecar is largely a two-man show, its main contributers, Alyassin and Cragin collaborating on all of the tracks. The production behind this recording should be commended; the instrumentation is clean and well mixed. That said however, unfortunately nowhere does Racecar claim a sound its own. The style is generic, safe and as a result, uninspiring. The lyrics lack passion and this distances the listener from the performer, as nowhere does Racecar let us inside its head or hint at the motivation behind the stories it tells. This is surprising following a rather passionate blog on the inside front cover of the album.

To cite Bono as an inspiration but give forth a track expressing little more than a mix of tepid emotions is disappointing. It is the energy that drove this foreword that I encourage Alyassin to conjure in future song writing. Write about a mixed emotion that is yours, and not what you think fits to an acoustic guitar and steady drumbeat devised days before. ‘Nice’ does not linger long after the record is turned off. Racecar shows you have the drive, its time to take the wheel and channel it into your next recording.

To find out more about Racecar you can contact Alyassin through his website www.racecarmuse.com.



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