Back in the mid- to late '90s,
David Moore's name was closely identified with emo.
Chamberlain, the Indiana band that he sang lead for during the
Bill Clinton years, were known for an emo/punk-pop approach. But as they went along,
Chamberlain's work became rootsier -- and a band that had often been compared to
Sunny Day Real Estate and
the Get Up Kids also found itself being compared to
Counting Crows,
the Gin Blossoms, and
Matchbox Twenty. Fast forward to 2009:
Moore is recording as a solo artist, and his first solo album,
My Lover, My Stranger, finds him very much in singer/songwriter mode and favoring an earthy roots rock/Americana direction. Stylistically, there is nothing emo about this CD other than the fact that
Moore's performances are full of emotion. There isn't a drop of punk-pop to be found on
My Lover, My Stranger;
Sunny Day Real Estate are never a valid comparison, and
Bruce Springsteen is a major influence on thoughtfully introspective tracks such as "When You Fall," "Radiate," "Breaking You Down," and "Beautiful Now." That isn't to say that
Moore actually tries to emulate
the Boss;
John Cougar Mellencamp,
John Hiatt, and
the Byrds are also influences. So even though
Springsteen is a prominent influence on this album, he isn't
Moore's only post-
Chamberlain influence. Clearly, this roots rock/Americana direction really agrees with
Moore; all of the solo material on
My Lover, My Stranger is solid and inspired, if derivative -- and one hopes that there will be many more solo albums to come from the expressive Midwesterner. ~ Alex Henderson