David Dunn’s debut has been a long time coming as music had always been a hobby of his before he started pursuing it full-time. As a student at Texas Tech University, where he majored in engineering, he was an honors student who moonlighted as a singer/songwriter, playing the local acoustic scene in Lubbock. During his last year at Texas Tech, he recorded his first full-length album before heading to Africa for 13 months of humanitarian and missions work.
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Crystal Clear Refreshment| Posted June 23, 2014
Looking at the titles for the new EP from David Dunn, it'd be easy to write it off as another contemporary worship carbon copy. But don't take the easy route. This is a surprisingly fun and catchy little EP that drives home surprisingly upbeat melodies.
Opener "It Is Well" opens with poppy crooning and a danceable hook that could have come from a lot of mainstream pop hits. The vertical lyrics play as a love song to God, speaking of surrendering our wills to Him. Playing on the classic hymn, Dunn is able to give it a relevant spin. "I'm not in control but it is well with my soul" is a comforting message to hold onto when bad things happen. The song definitely has hit potential written all over it and isn't just another attempt at modernizing a hymn.
The themes of surrender continue with "Have Everything." It's appropriate to follow up a song about not being in control with a song about giving over everything to the One who is. "Today is Beautiful" does what it has to for a radio single and maintains the album's quality.
"Nothing Left" carries a bit of a Jonathan Thulin vibe at times and builds on the vertical themes established in the first three tracks. With a bit more of a danceable beat, this track also steps up the 'foot-tapping' status and proves to be another winner. "Waiting For Love" is an obligatory ballad and carries that mantle well with a solid emotional core.
Closing Thoughts:
With songs that cover a lot of different pop styles with class, David Dunn's Crystal Clear EP is a welcome surprise. Musically, it's one of the more refreshing releases I've seen this year, a far cry from the generic approach you might expect from first glance. Thematically, there also seems to be an overarching theme of surrender to Christ and letting Him call the shots. Each song seems to provide its own piece to the story of how surrender frees us.
David Dunn clearly threw all he had into this release and the potential shows. Here's hoping this is the prelude to a memorable full-length. For now, this EP will stand as a highlight of the early summer.
Song to Download Now:
"Today Is Beautiful" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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