February 14th sees the release of “I’m Alright Now”, the newest single from English singer-songwriter David Ford. Thematically, the single sits between the somewhat petulant “Go to Hell” and the chorus-intensive emotional ballad “I don’t care what you call me”. The first few seconds of the song are promising, with cautious violins gradually giving way to guitar and drums. Unfortunately, the listener is reminded within a few more seconds that David Ford is not a particularly gifted lyricist. This would not pose a great problem were it not for the fact that Ford’s songs, due to their heavily melodic nature and the artist’s promise of "brutally honest” self-condemnation, rely largely on the quality of the lyrics.
In “I’m Alright Now”, David Ford indulges his propensity for starting small and building up to a rhapsodic climax. The verses serve as respite from the intensity of the choruses, which invite the listener to “sing along when [their] heart’s finished bleeding”. This song, on the first listening, is relatively disappointing. On the second listening, it seems marginally more palatable as the listener presumably knows what to expect. Post-third listening, it quickly seems tedious and melodramatic. To sum it up, Ford’s “I did things of which I am not proud” seems quite appropriate as a sentiment, considering the quality of this single relative to the artist’s obvious potential and considerable intelligence.
by Nick Maxfield
