Not many people know the name of David Silva. Or, specifically, this David Silva. But they ought to. Named after an area of LA to which he moved, “Moorpark Oasis” is a rather glorious coming together of sharp wit, an obscene level of observation and engaging rockabilly melodies. It’ll be a shame if this man ever has to pay for a drink again.
“Guitars and Shady Ladies” is an upbeat beginning, a delightful depiction of one man’s desires of women and success, and subsequent struggles of mind, while “Garlic” takes a ridiculous notion (namely, the excessive consumption of garlic) and makes it seem almost plausible.
“Traveling” and “Coffee Shop” takes on mournful tone replacing adroit humour with a sensible emotional approach. It’s a transition that seems appropriate and serves as further evidence of Silva’s lyrical guile.
It’s also worth noting that Silva is backed by just two other musicians (Scott Rodell and Bradley Jon Sanders) on this release - surprising considering the depths of the overall sound. Silva’s voice is certainly pleasant; a fair few miles shy of country and unaided by pretensions.“Blessings” is sung in sets of snappy sentences and timed to perfection, the words continually provoking a smile from the listener. Seemingly a man of some experience in life, Silva doesn’t seem the relenting kind, happy to say the words that others might hold back. Yet, he’s largely upbeat.
“It Will All Be Perfect” takes on a darker subject of domestic abuse, yet attempts to give answers instead of repeating questions. After all this, it only seems appropriate that the album should end on a track called “Life Is Good”. Laden with black humour, this throwback to the old-fashioned “man-versus-woman” country song will have the listener singing along heartily. At the risk of over-stressing the point, I’ll keep it concise. Good lyrics, good music, good voice. Go find this album. To ignore this suggestion is to lose out. Don’t lose out on this