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Wales is internationally known for its lush valleys, grazing sheep, hospitality, rugby and for producing Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. In the middle of Wales there is a town named Brecon known for its narrow streets, canals and its annual jazz festival. Originally hailing from this area -- though he now resides in London -- is young man named David Mensah, and Music Is The Food Of Love is his debut album. In person David is warm with a wicked sense of humour, however he prefers to lets his music do the talking for him. And if you happen to pick up his album you may just like what he has to say.
Wales is internationally known for its lush valleys, grazing sheep, hospitality, rugby and for producing Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. In the middle of Wales there is a town named Brecon known for its narrow streets, canals and its annual jazz festival. Originally hailing from this area -- though he now resides in London -- is young man named David Mensah, and Music Is The Food Of Love is his debut album. In person David is warm with a wicked sense of humour, however he prefers to lets his music do the talking for him. And if you happen to pick up his album you may just like what he has to say.
Following the introduction "We're Gonna Take You Back," in which David recounts some of the artists he grew up listening to, we are greeted by David's UK Independent Music Chart #1 song "My Day." A radio friendly, uplifting and delightfully cheery song, "My Day" is about how in this fast world full of attitude and lack of interest in others, his lady's smile immediately makes his day. Like a warm summer afternoon, this feel good song has a melodic piano introduction and harmonic backing vocals, alongside David mellifluous voice. On seeing the title "Friends With Benefits" I assumed it was going to be song about booty calls, fast love, bump ‘n' grind and innuendo; on listening to the song I was swiftly corrected: Expressing his inability to get over his girlfriend, David wears his heart on his sleeve singing about how he has settled for being a friend with benefits. Nicely produced and sung with delicate emotion, you want to give David a big hug and reassure him that it is possible to move on successfully in time. Clearly not having learnt my lesson I noted the title of another song on this album called "Love In The Morning" and immediately assumed this was about early morning "relations;" however yet again I was proven wrong. Accompanied by a gentle beat and piano David sings about the love he receives from his lady and what it does for him "I'd be lost without you, no one else will ever do" he sings to show he appreciation.
The album's title track has received lots of airplay on radio stations around the world, and I believe will be a song David will be required to perform wherever he makes a personal musical appearance for a long time. Solid production from world renowned Wayne Brown, heart warming lyrics (where Mensah cleverly weaves memories of his favourite foods alongside his love of music) and David's mature tone make this one of the standout songs on this album. Next David covers "Fly Me To The Moon," playing it safe and sticking to the original arrangement. Although vocally David sounds fine, I found little to excite me about the song, especially coming after the powerful title track. David never put his stamp on this song, and unfortunately was not bold enough to do something dynamic with it.
Now Jay-Z may love his girls, girls, girls, Ludacris may have ho's in different area codes, and T-Pain may be in love with a stripper, but David clearly loves his independent woman. This slow and sexy Coptic produced sizzler has David describing his ideal woman: confident self assured, comfortable with her body, down to earth, with a dash of sex kitten. A grown up and updated version of R. Kelly's "Homie Lover Friend" is solid, my only criticism being that it is too short. On the song "Hennessey" David is joined by one of the UK's finest young rappers XO, providing a good example of modern UK R&B. A tale which may be familiar with many, it is all about drinking Hennessey, spending weekends at parties in the VIP section, feeling good and looking sexy, then spending the rest of the week avoiding the bailiffs and hustling at a job to pay for the weekend.
As an observer of unsigned artists in the UK, I know that this was a long overdue album from Mr Mensah, and as a debut album it is not bad. David has very mature vocals, good delivery and pronunciation. He is able to convey vulnerability, playfulness, sensuality and put a smile on your face. He has also shown shown he is a talented lyricist, writing most of the tracks on the album, and a collaborator able to work with talented producers to bring his music to life. However I felt on a few songs the production was slightly sparse, and as an album David "stuck within the lines" not doing anything that was too wild. I am very interested to see what David does next production wise, and also vocally. Is there a sweet falsetto or sexy growl that is not being unleashed? Are there some recondite melodies in David's head that he has not yet brought into the studio? Overall this is a good album -- one that you can put on your stereo without having to reach to the volume to protect your delicate ears, and an introductory glimpse of an up-and-coming young UK R&B talent. Recommended.
By Ricardito