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There are some voices in rock music that are as easy to recognize as the taste
of your favorite food or, um, beer, on your taste buds. Founding Dire Straits
member David Knopfler has such a voice, and while it’s easy to mistake it for
that of his brother Mark (Mark was the lead singer of Dire Straits), it’s
basically the same voice. David’s latest solo effort, Ship of Dreams, is
a collection of solid songs that just flat-out feel good. As Knopfler gets
older, his songwriting seems to gain creative wisdom, and those songs are
delivered here with conviction.
“4U (Rabbit Song),” in addition to being a great lyrical concept, is extremely
catchy from a musical standpoint as well. “Easy Street” is a meaner, bluesy rock
tune about making a deal with the Devil. And while a track like “True Love” is a
timeless ballad, it’s in songs like the jazz-flavored title track (co-written
with budding California artist Megan Slankard) and the haunting “Going Down with
the Waves” where Knopfler’s songwriting really shines through. “When Will the
Crying Stop?” is a melancholy song about lost love that is so simple, yet so
poetic: “First you flip/Then you flop/Love is here/Then it’s not/But what I
really want to know/Is when will the crying stop?” “Mending My Nets” is another
track that stands out, almost as an old-school folk song.
Ship of Dreams balances nicely between full band and acoustic tracks, and
producer Harry Bogdanovs along with Knopfler obviously paid attention to the
arrangements and how they complement each song. This is one of those records
that sounds very comfortable from the moment you hear it, yet there are little
things throughout that grow on you the more you listen. Fans of good pop
songwriting should never tire of hearing what artists like David Knopfler
create, and here’s hoping he continues to feed our senses with his music.
~Mike Farley
mfarley@bullz-eye.com
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