Dave Greaves- Still Life: The Legacy Collection (click on image to watch video)

 02 April 2020

Dave Greaves, a longtime veteran of the British music scene, may have played everything from pop music to Country and R&B throughout his career, but if his latest, Still Life, is any indication he is probably one of our strongest connections we still have to the 1970s British folk scene. 

It’s not surprising that he was one of the few who shared a stage with the brilliant Nick Drake before his life was cut short. And like Drake, there is a powerful subtlety to Greaves music that sometimes gets overlooked on the first couple of listens. With often little more than an acoustic guitar as accompaniment to his songs, much like Drake it’s the soft effortless vocals and powerful lyrics that take center stage.   

Still Life is an ambitious 22-song album stretched over two CDs, that seem to offer a tempting introduction to the uninitiated. Though it’s an hour-plus of music, the experience is well worth the time spent with this record. Greaves’ songs manage to sound both of them now at the same time as being reassuringly familiar. It’s hard to single out the standout tracks here – as robust as the collection is, there really isn’t a bad track to be found; but “Fool’s Gold” is one of the most accessible in the mix. There are a few songs that might not be as memorable as others, but it would be hard to justify completely getting rid of any of these songs.

Greaves still occasionally plays guitar for onetime labelmate Bob Cheevers, but Still Life is evidence that Greaves’ natural role is standing in front of the microphone. The collection ends with “Without Asking” – the last song on the last CD - a beautiful, eclectic mix of folk and World music swirling around Greaves beautifully strong vocals and is hopefully a sign of more things to come in the future.  

John B. Moore has been covering the seemingly disparate, but surprisingly complimentary genres of Americana and punk rock for the past 20 years.

Blurt/New Noise Magazine/InSite Atlanta/NeuFutur Magazine

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