David Condos

I’m writing this fresh from listening repeatedly to Nashville’s David Condos stunning soon-to-be-released album Smoking City. The 21-year-old multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter exudes star quality, and the infinitely listenable first single from his album, entitled “I Should Be Lost Without You”, ought to be screaming from radios and iPods everywhere quite soon. Normally, I’m not even a fan of this kind of music. I just hear too much of it. However, David rises so far above the cut that I would have felt like I had done a great injustice to overlook something this good.

David’s music is caught somewhere in the jungle of influence left by Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright, complimentary to both of those but more in a direct line with recently popular songs by Coldplay, Aqualung and Keane.

Condos has been blessed by a voice fueled by soul, something so empassioned that one can’t help but be shaken to hear him sing. With production duties helmed by Tom Laune (who has worked with R.E.M., Mat Kearney, and Bruce Springsteen), the end result is something so pure it’s hard to imagine that it all stems from the hard work of one young man who is obviously poised for great things. Something tells me I should expect the response to this single to be nothing less than explosive. - www.loudersoft.com

Absolutely phenomenal. Nashville's very best kept secret is no longer a secret. I reveal to you David Condos.

When I came across David, I fell instantly in love with his music. In all honesty, he is one of the most promising young songwriters I've heard in long time. He undoubtedly has big things ahead of him, but the fact that he hasn't been picked up already by a major label is beyond me.

Thanks to David for sending me a copy of the disc, because Smoking City is a must have. This kid is gold. I'll leave it at that. - Come Pick Me Up online

Condos has caught the ear of major labels with his stunning voice and commanding melodic gifts. His surprising debut, Smoking City, is anything but amateur.
---All The Rage music weekly (Nashville, TN)

- All the Rage weekly paper (Nashville, TN)

"Smoking City" is quite an achievement considering the magnitude that this 21-year-old undertakes on his debut LP. Songs are complete and very full with soaring guitars, driving drums, and heavy keyboard presence. Condos is quite the virtuoso musician, playing everything from Wurlitzer, glockenspiel and mellotron to guitars and harmonica. Needless to say, what separates Condos from his competitors on "Smoking City" are the abundance of keyboards and his soulful voice. Album highlights include the emotive 'I Should Be Lost Without You' and the swirling thumper 'Keep Your Hand On The Door.' - American Songwriter Magazine

"Smoking City swirls and hums while pulling from pop's smartest moments."
--Relevant Magazine - Relevant Magazine

To be honest, I’ve been holding off on posting about David Condos for quite sometime now. Not only because I’ve waiting for his record to actually come out and for him to play a few shows, but also, I wanted to see if his GORGEOUS record, Smoking City, would have the legs to stick in my head (and subsequent iTunes playlists) for awhile. Welp, good news…it did!

The first I actually heard of David was an unfinished/unmastered version of "Permanant" about 6 months ago on his Myspace and was absolutely floored by the songwriting and polish of the track. Rare for an unsigned artist, it really had the sound of something that had loads of money put into it and been released by a label. Suprisingly it didn’t, though it had a pretty incredible pedigree, being produced by Tom Laune, who’s also worked with REM, Bruce Springsteen, Mat Kearney and many other artists.

Well, fast forward 6 months and we get to Smoking City, a combination of fully-accompanied, glimmering pop songs and whispered acoustic/piano folk numbers that are right up the alley of Jeff Buckley and Coldplay. The haunting "You Are A Vision" and "Lullaby for A Ghost" recall some of Buckley’s most captivating moments, while "The Last One I Love" and "I Should Be Lost Without You" are soaring tracks that would fit in perfectly with Coldplay’s X&Y (which makes sense given that Smoking City was mastered by Chris Athens, who also mastered X&Y, Athlete’s Tourist, and Ben Fold’s Songs For Silverman).

What really makes this record and David’s sound so unique, though, are not only the great arrangements, with huge delayed guitars, a glowing wurlitzer, and twinkling glockenspiel, but his shimmering vocal range. His voice is definitely the instrument that’s front and center throughout the record and it never seems to miss. From the quietest moments to the loudest and highest, he always hits the note! - www.theunibaumer.com