What You Whispered
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Paradoxically, this Cleveland-born, now New England-based songwriter has been at his best when drawing on the lyrical space and spare country blues of the South. His best album, 1996's East Asheville Hardware, is an intimate acoustic homage to his years in North Carolina. On What You Whispered, Wilcox often recaptures that homespun, unpretentious sincerity. A twangy National steel guitar figure opens his eighth album, complementing a memorably amorous lyric, and later returns for the sweaty, sexy funk of "Whisper of the Wheels," in which the road mirrors a woman's necessary but frightening self-discovery. Choosing to record at his Maryland home, Wilcox sounds mellow and assured, mostly abandoning the crutch of platitudinous folk-pop. It may still require effort to get past New Age sermons like "Rule Number One" or "Start with the Ending," but Wilcox seems to be finding his voice again. --Roy Kasten
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You'd never know it from looking at the best-selling album charts, but folk music continues to enjoy something of a renaissance, although by and large, folkies still inhabit their own world of smoky clubs and church basements. But occasionally, an artist will burst through the flotsam and jetsam of the pop music pond and command attention.
Such a singer/songwriter is David Wilcox, who made a few converts among Christian music fans who ventured out to catch his opening set on club and college dates with Jars of Clay-certainly the Jars boys embraced Wilcox's literate and emotional writing and delivery. The vocal talents of Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Steve Mason and Matt Odmark can be heard on "Start With the Ending" and "Rule Number One," two of the more brilliant moments on What You Whispered.
Wilcox has previously stated in these pages, "...in folk music, we're trying to convince people that we're all the same," and his compassionate, probing, Spirit-driven lyrics certainly go a long way toward proving his point. The title track is a delightful portrait of intimacy; the wry humor of the funky "Start With the Ending" suggests that we get all our disagreements out of the way up front, in order to forge successful relationships, while "In the Broken Places" reminds us that brokenness, whether in spirit or body, often provides us with greater resilience. Wilcox's warm voice and accomplished guitar playing are at once compelling and reassuring, creating a connection all too rare in pop music. -- Bruce A. Brown (c) 2000 CCM Communications, Inc.
What You Whispered,David Wilcox,Vanguard Records,Contemporary Folk,Contemporary Singer/Songwriter,Folk,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Singer/Songwriter
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What You Whispered
David Wilcox Manufacturer: Vanguard Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  General
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ASIN: B00004VWG6 Release Date: 2000-08-29 |
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Amazon.com
Paradoxically, this Cleveland-born, now New England-based songwriter has been at his best when drawing on the lyrical space and spare country blues of the South. His best album, 1996's East Asheville Hardware, is an intimate acoustic homage to his years in North Carolina. On What You Whispered, Wilcox often recaptures that homespun, unpretentious sincerity. A twangy National steel guitar figure opens his eighth album, complementing a memorably amorous lyric, and later returns for the sweaty, sexy funk of "Whisper of the Wheels," in which the road mirrors a woman's necessary but frightening self-discovery. Choosing to record at his Maryland home, Wilcox sounds mellow and assured, mostly abandoning the crutch of platitudinous folk-pop. It may still require effort to get past New Age sermons like "Rule Number One" or "Start with the Ending," but Wilcox seems to be finding his voice again. --Roy KastenCustomer Reviews:
Try Elsewhere.......2005-07-05
Homespun songs from the heart.......2003-12-24
Wisdom, Whimsy, but no Whining.......2002-08-30
What you get instead is a clever, sincere, and often funny celebration of life when lived thoughtfully. Wilcox is at his best when he sifts through the worries and joys of everyday life to find a gem of everyday wisdom. Rather than stretching for the profound statement, Wilcox uses a clever lyrical or thematic twist to make fundamental goodness (how dull!) interesting; these songs celebrate maturity over testosterone. Thus, "Start With the Ending" and "Rule Number One" are great "relationship" songs precisely because they aren't about sexually charged rendevous's, but the virtues of sustained love.
"Step Into Your Skin," "The Inside of My Head," and "In The Broken Places" suggest that the insecurities we all harbor can be overcome by faith (not necessarily the religious type), love, and self-examination.
Wilcox can be a little preachy (e.g., "On Your Way Back Down," his speech to a battered woman) and he sometimes overworks universal truths (such as "Deeper Still," in which he reminds us that the love you make is equal to the love you take. But the preaching is never heavy-handed or overly sentimental.
Oh, yeah -- the music! Wilcox is distinctive without being redundant (i.e., you know its him, but you can tell the songs apart). His guitar playing is often spare, but always interesting and his voice is clean, clear and unaffected. Pop this CD in your player and leave it there for a week -- it will feel like a nice soft flannel shirt you've loved for years.
What you wished for. . ........2001-09-26
A gem.......2001-03-24
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