Dave Howard

The great unknown

Even in a town with as many wonderful songwriters as San Diego has, Dave Howard stands out. His debut album, "Unbelievable Unknown," finds Howard augmenting his rootsy voice and guitar with some of the area' s best musicians, broadening his sound while still maintaining the charm of his live performances. It is perhaps the ultimate form of respect that many local artists, among them A.J. Croce, Gregory Page and John Katchur, have included material either composed or co-written by Howard on their own recent releases. Dave Howard' s knack for hooked-filled songs, as well as his intimate stage show, place him at the forefront of the local acoustic circuit.
- Bart Mendoza

San Diego singer/songwriter Dave Howard wins a lot of praise from the other acoustic guitar slingers about town, many of whom consider him the cream of the crop. With his new CD, Unbelievable Unknown, Howard returns the compliment, using many of his peers as backing musicians. Notables such as A.J. Croce, Wayne Nelson, Jeff Berkley, Dani Carroll, Rick Burkhardt, Sven-Erik Seaholm, and John Katchur beef up Howard's rhythmic strumming and deft picking with drums, percussion, electric guitar, bass, spooky slide guitar, organ, piano, trumpet, and flute. But the center of attention is always Howard's mellow voice. It's almost as mellow as James Taylor's, which is to say it's so mellow that it's not depressing when Howard sings, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die."

Howard plunges into even darker territory on the song "Thrift Shop Shoes," about a girl growing up poor and abused, ending up in a miserable life of prostitution. But his voice sounds more at home on "Helluva Highway," a more lighthearted country/rock/blues song that seems like it was written for Bonnie Raitt. (Of course, it would be odd to hear Raitt sing Howard's line, "Broke more hearts than Elvis, burned more bridges than the Vietcong.") And when Howard sings, "We all need love, what are you afraid of?" or when a flute (also mellow) plays a little counterpoint to the vocal melody on the love song "How I Know," well, it just feels all warm and cozy. - William Crain

Smooth vocals, bright acoustic guitars, folksy lyrics, and solid production are the signatures of Dave Howard’s new release. The 15-song Unbelievable Unknown is mostly acoustic-based rock with dashes of various other influences and flavors. Howard delivers impassioned lyrics and easygoing melodies that help to create the feeling of a warm spring afternoon, sitting under a shady tree, enjoying a cool breeze.

Mid-tempo songs such as "The Nothing Song" and "We All Need Love" deliver full-bodied, warm acoustic guitars, slick electric licks, and lyrics that will have you singing along in no time. In fact, if you’re not singing the chorus to "The Nothing Song" midway through the first listen, you may want to have your hearing checked.

Slower numbers such as the title track, "Buzzers and Sirens," and "Rain and the Thunder" bring James Taylor and Jim Croce to mind with their heartfelt lyrics, sweet finger picking, and ambience-conscious percussion.

While this disc provides a nice, even-keeled sound, there is enough variety in its approach to keep the listener guessing, or at least entertained —never bored. "Helluva Highway" and "Spend the Night" highlight that eclecticism, the former sounding like a 90s interpretation of Eddie Rabbit’s "I’m Driving My Life Away" with quicker tempo twangy guitar riffs, and seedy organ, the latter adding a twist with its swift horns.

Unbelievable is a sharp, high-quality effort. Musicianship, production, and songwriting are all Howard’s strong points With a little push and, support, this album could lead to further opportunities for his music to -be heard. - Francisco Ciriza