I Wish I Was Beautiful - AVAILABLE NOW!

Russell David: The Chris Gaines of Simple Music?

From the haunting vampiric figure adorning the cover, to the self depreciating bravado bathing each song, the new Russell David album seems to consciously represent an elaborately disguised psychosis. i wish i was beautiful-- David's seventh album with Simple Music-- brings us a new side of this folk-rock nobody. Gone is the sweet, youthful, honesty of a simple boy yearning to explain his feelings to the world. This vision is transformed. The man we see before us continues to break our hearts-- but now out of pity, rather than empathy. In songs like "When you fall in love," and "Whatever love is, it sure aint this" we are treated to a comic mind's-eye view of the hurt-one-too-many-times lover speaking his thoughts, and encouraging us to join him along the self-destructive path of emotional survival. Throughout the album, David throws his voice into question, repeatedly offering overtly bad advice to the listener-- forcing them to do their job, to evaluate, pay attention, participate, listen. We cannot trust Russell David. Musically, these songs are much grittier, taking a strong, forceful, tone. David's voice is noticeably deeper, the lyrical content is noticeably more disturbed, more raw. i wish i was beautiful was largely written and recorded over the summer months of 1999, at the Simple Music studio, and Hub Cap HQ. Check out the instant classics "Slip," "I wanted to fly," and the passionate anthem, "Breathe Deep."

Review by R.M. Slinky