David Levin

Date: 1/15/05

I’ll admit it – as a writer, I’m a sucker for a good title and from that stand point, David Levin’s Stepping On My Hat certainly delivers. As a listener it helps that the Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter’s latest offering is chock full of witty lyrics and juicy hooks.

The music has the jaunty bounce of some of the best early-80’s pop, when ska beats were first meeting punks’ three-chords. Levin’s voice, lightly reminiscent of Sting at some turns, adds warmth to the inherent good humor conveyed by many of the songs words, like “Nothing,” his take on a self-esteem challenged Superman. “Blood And Feathers” offers a mediation on the stupid things done in the quest for fame driven by a chugging guitar line and solid backbeat.

Elsewhere, “We’re Okay (For Humans)” nicely marries melody with a realists’ optimism and “Demolition Boy” and the title track both sound like songs Squeeze might have recorded in their early days.

Oddly, the disc’s standout track just might be the softer “Keep Breathing,” with its lush sound and plea to the female protagonist to “keep breathing, sometimes it’s all you can do.”

It’s not always easy to keep laughing at life when you’re freezing your touchas off in Minnesota, but with luck David Levin will stay warm and continue to share his unique world view for many albums to come. - 2 Walls Webzine - Brendon McCullin

Feb/March '05 Issue
After dialing back with the acoustic Zuni, an album that reflected his time on the Zuni Indian Reservation, former Screaming Yahoos guitarist David Levin revisits his pop/rock persona with a thumping vengeance on Stepping On My Hat.

Levin’s voice and forcefully polyrhythmic pop songs recall the vibrancy and propulsive energy of early Police (“Blood and Feathers,” “How Could You?”), but he can just as easily suggest the pop intensity of “Sledgehammer”-era Peter Gabriel (the title track).

If there’s a stone hit on Stepping On My Hat, it may well be the dramatic melodicism of “Keep Breathing,” a smoldering pop ballad exhibiting all of Levin’s avowed influences with a dash of Gin Blossoms for good measure.

Levin’s lyrics are equal parts wit and gravity which he underscores with an appropriate soundtrack of wild abandon or somber reflection.

With Sting all tantric and superstar tight-assed these days, David Levin may just remind you why you enjoyed the Policeman in the first place while impressing with his own considerable talents. - Amplifier Magazine - Brian Baker

November '05

David Levin is a man possessed. On his latest effort, Stepping On My Hat, he channels the early years of The Police, burnishing the first seven tracks with astute songwriting and deft musicality. It's actually fun listening to his effort here. ... Solid standouts like "Demolition Man," "Blood and Feathers" and "How Could You?", prove that we won't need to perform an exorcism for some time. - Metro.Pop - David Deusner

Ronald: Brilliant supersonic pop-music, built on excellent lyrics. Awesome guitars! The Edin Adahl revival begins!Grimace: Straight-ahead rock with Floydian slips. A second Genesis. Well-played and produced. Mayor McCheese: Clear tones, good rhythm & lyrics. This resurrects the 80's Police out of Matthew Sweet.Hamburglar: Sounds a lot like Matthew Sweet. - Hybrid Magazine

Rock and roll doesn't have to be all "pedal to the metal" and "bloody ears" to be good. Sometimes a slower pace is the ticket to an awesome album. David Levin takes the latter approach and, for the most part, pulls things off superbly.

The guitar work is utterly amazing, with licks that every soft-rocker aims to create. Though most guitar tracks are gorgeous, standouts include "Here We Go Again" and "Let's Think About This."

It appears Sting was a heavy influence on David, along with Fastball, XTC, and a touch of Train. The resemblance is so striking on "Where Is The Heart?" that many listeners may think Sting released a new album. - Harder Press - Jason Janik

This is a tasteful record with interesting lyrics. Levin, who recently returned from several years living amongst the Zuni tribe in New Mexico, is as prolific as ever. His style is akin to Peter Gabriel and Sting (before he decided to suck) as well as Big Head Todd & The Monsters (maybe it's an Indian thing!). The key track of the twelve is "Keep Breathing." This record is available through iTunes. - Caffeine - Kevin M. Wilson

Levin's graceful Pop has more teeth than anything Sting has done since 1981. He's a Power Pop shaman who'll show you the way with his beguiling melodies and ace songwriting chops. - CityBeat - Mike Breen

David Levin's new record, Stepping On My Hat, is an experiment in late 1970s/early 1980s inspired pop rock. SOMH lives up in many ways to comparisons made to new wave legends The Police, particularly in its vocal delivery and harmonies, its tasteful guitars and in its songwriting. The songs here make for minimalist pop rock, yet with their densely layered instrumentation the songs are melodically accessible and complex enough to warrant multiple listens.

The lyrics provide a good balance of storytelling and social commentary. The highlight is probably We're Okay For Humans, with its lyric "There is beauty down here, too," but a better indicator of Levin's lighthearted style is in Blood and Feathers: "If only someone understood how much work it is looking good / Hours in the tanning both, hours in the gym / I'd give anything for a milkshake and a burger, I really would." Levin has been described as honest, while 'not being too smart for his own good.' If you're a fan of indie pop rock, the songwriting and indie charm of SOMH makes it worth checking out. - MusicCritic.ca - David Coats

June '06

David Levin is a prime example of a great songwriter/musician in a city [ Minneapolis ] where most of the time, the different, loud and noisy get more attention. Levin would have a hit if the pop radio stations in this market played quality music. - Rift Magazine

5.24.05
David Levin’s work runs in a stream with the best of Peter Gabriel (the title track here in particular) as well as the late Kevin Gilbert and Gilbert’s partner in the ill-fated but brilliant Toy Matinee, Patrick Leonard. You don’t need to know those artists to appreciate Levin’s work, but your appreciation of his work may be deepened if you do as it’s refreshing to hear a writer capable of weaving substantive lyrics and music together and balancing depth and levity with honesty and grace the way that Levin does throughout this twelve-track long-player - particularly on tracks such as “We’re Okay, For Humans” and “Blood and Feathers.”

It’s smart music but not music that’s too smart for its own good. Don’t let this one get away. - Copper Press - Jedd Beaudoin