David Nail

With second album, Nail's a name to watch
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Mario Tarradell

David Nail travels that dusky crossroad between modern country and pop-soul. His soaring voice has a burnished, twang-less timbre that straddles earnest and passionate qualities. On his second album, which follows his well-received 2009 debut, I'm About to Come Alive, nail examines the subtleties of home, hearth, love, and life. He's at his best with potent tunes to sing, such as the reflective "Songs for Sale," the heartbreaking "Let It Rain" and "the Sound of a Million Dreams," a sincere paean to the power of songwriting. Yet at times the album feels stuck in mid-tempos. It rarely aims for any sonic extremes, usually keeping to a palatable center. Consequently the tracks take longer to absorb, slowly blossoming with repeated listens. Nail is a new artist to watch, though, so he's worth the effort.