Album of the week: Questions - David Bronson has all the answers
Releasing three albums in three years will certainly earn you the label of "prolific", so it's no wonder New York-based singer-songwriter David Bronson has such a wonderfully bushy beard - obviously he barely has time to shave in between penning this many tunes of soul-inspired pop rock.
David Bronson
Big Arc Records
Accomplished as his previous albums of indie-folk were, his third album, Questions, has taken a big artistic step forward. Each of these 11 tracks demonstrate a maturity and new-found confidence in Bronson's songwriting.
Both the opener Songbird ("This life is questions/ But the questions they are mine) with its Paul Simon vibe and gospel choir, and the slick radio-friendly Push with its big singalong chorus ("Sometimes we need a puuush"), are anthems to fill arenas.
With contributions from David Bowie and Iggy Pop's guitarist Carlos Alomar, Bronson's 1970s-infused soul has now taken on a bigger and brighter sound, and the more polished production will surely see his songs reach a much wider audience.
Bronson's falsetto is almost Jeff Buckley-esque on the album highlight Song of Life, and elsewhere there are subtle hints of Ryan Adams and Grant-Lee Phillips.