David Young And Friends: “Love Wins” (2022) CD Review

On the cover of Love Wins, underneath the title, it says, “A Feel-Good Album of Healing Messages.” And, yeah, I know what you’re thinking, that this is going to be full of corny and possibly preachy tunes. But that’s not the case. And, let’s face it, we need music that will make us feel good. It’s been a rough several years, with the pandemic and gun violence and the attack on women’s rights and the rise of fascism and domestic terrorism. Scary times. So this music is welcome, no question about it. David Young provides the lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar on these tracks. The friends joining him include Tony Levin (known for his work with Stick Men, Peter Gabriel, and King Crimson) on bass, Jerry Marotta (known for his work with Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and Indigo Girls) on drums and percussion, Pete Levin on piano and organ, Keith Martin on mandolin and backing vocals, Lisa Maria on crystal bowls and backing vocals, Sarah Perotta on accordion and backing vocals, and Lindsay Morano on backing vocals. All of the material on this album is original, written by David Young.

The first line of the first song is “Everybody in the world is going crazy.” There is no way to argue with that. Look what has been happening in our country over the last six years or so. Look at Italy. Look at Russia. Look at Hungary. Even Sweden, for crying out loud. Things are ugly out there, as the world seems to eagerly embrace fascism again. Anyway, it’s the perfect line with which to kick off an album of songs designed to make us all feel better. And David Young delivers the line gently, like a friend offering empathy. But, you know, it’s a line that should unite us too. After all, we are all experiencing this reality, more or less. And, as he sings on this track, “We all need someone/We all need someone/We all need someone.” And I love that work on mandolin, which seems capable even on its own of raising our spirits. “Everybody In The World” is followed by the album’s title track, “Love Wins,” a sweet-sounding song about how in the fundamental ways we are all the same. It is a song against racism, and it features more good work on mandolin. Here David Young sings, “We all hold the future in our hands.” I do believe that love wins, but sometimes it is just so difficult to offer love in the face of bigotry and meanness. I mean, could anyone love Marjorie Peach Tree Dish Greene, for example? I don’t think I’m strong enough for that. My gag reflex is stronger. Then “Heaven Is The Place” has a bright, pleasant sound.

Dave Young And Friends offer an original song titled “The Best Is Yet To Come,” not to be confused with the song associated with Frank Sinatra. That optimistic saying has been around a long time, of course, but that sentence now sadly reminds me of that foul, coked-up creature Kimberly Guilfoyle. Remember when she screamed that at the world, like some kind of twisted threat? You remember, it was creepy as hell. But this song should knock that image out of your noggin relatively quickly with its delightful groove, which leans toward reggae. I love the bass line and the percussion. “And the best is yet to come/In the years ahead/And the best is yet to come/Listen what I said/I guess I never knew/How hard this life could be.” Let’s hope the best is yet to come, and not securely fastened to the deep past. I suppose we are all optimists; otherwise we wouldn’t still be here. And that mandolin work certainly helps to cheer me up. That’s followed by “Clues,” which has a pretty sound. Check out these lines, which open the song: “Seems to me/Pretty obviously/There’s something I keep failing to see/I’ve got clues right in front of me/Right in front of me/Right in front of me.” And from the tone of his vocals, we get the sense that he will heed those clues soon enough. This track features some wonderful, uplifting backing vocal work as well. There is also some nice work on accordion, and some wonderful percussion, particularly in that final section. And from the title of the next track, “I See The World With Different Eyes,” it seems that he has availed himself of those clues. There is a gentle, yet joyful sense behind this song’s presentation. It has a bit of a 1970s soft rock and folk vibe. “And see the world around me/With the feeling of surprise/I see the world with different eyes/With all my friends around me/And the love that’s in their eyes/I see the world with different eyes.”

“The Other Side Of The Clouds” has a sweet, pretty folk sound from its start, featuring some lovely work on mandolin. And in the lyrics, David Young paints an ideal scene in which “Everyone is happy, everyone is happy.” Sometimes I can imagine it. But other times it seems impossible, since some folks’ happiness seems to depend upon the unhappiness of other people. This song builds in strength and power. That is followed by “Everyday,” which has a reggae vibe. The song is delivered with a joy that seems determined to manifest itself in reality all around. “I said everyday/Only the good comes my way.” I do wonder how much power a thought can have. Can we create a better world just by saying it exists, by believing in it? “I’m ready for the troubled water to turn to wine,” David Young repeats near the beginning of “Troubled Waters.” There is optimism in this song, a song that has a softer sound. There are some beautiful instrumental sections, particularly at the end. I love that the musicians are given the chance to stretch out a bit, to take us on a gentle ride. “I don’t need to figure it all out/I don’t need to know what it’s all about/I just need to give myself some time/And allow myself to be/At the perfect place at the perfect time,” David Young sings in “The Perfect Place At The Perfect Time.” This song really helps ease my mind, and it features some pretty backing vocal work. The energy returns for “The Way Of Love,” the album’s closing track, a lively number. I especially like this one on its chorus, with that piano, and those backing vocals. It may go on just a tad long at the end, but no worries.

Track List

1. Everybody In The World
2. Love Wins
3. Heaven Is The Place
4. The Best Is Yet To Come
5. Clues
6. I See The World With Different Eyes
7. The Other Side Of The Clouds
8. Everyday
9. Troubled Waters
10. The Perfect Place At The Perfect Time
11. The Way Of Love

Love Wins is scheduled to be released on October 28, 2022.