As anticipation builds toward the release of David James Allen‘s upcoming album Jubilation Potpourri this fall, he’s shared another preview in the form of “The Moonlight Waltz.” A stunning example of modern alt-country, the song’s hazy vibes perfectly capture the feeling of drinking and dancing with your favourite partner on warm summer nights.
David said, “Inspired by many late nights on Dunlop Street in Barrie, Ontario during my twenties, I wrote it to reflect the night life – dive bars with karaoke evenings – places that made homes away from homes for a lot of people. Inside the walls, there’s yearning, there’s regret, there’s freedom from the grind and a fleeting freedom from the shit you are running from in your own life. The song is like a state of mind and a moment you can’t live in forever, because eventually it’ll get the best of you and suck you dry like a vampire.”
“The Moonlight Waltz” follows the previous singles from Jubilation Potpourri, “Platform No. 12 (Old Friends)” and “By Your Side,” with the LP set to follow-up David’s acclaimed 2023 collection By The Summertime. The new songs find him further developing his skills as an alt-country auteur, producing the music himself, while playing the majority of the instruments as well.
It’s been a decade-long evolution for David, but over the past several years — after moving east of Toronto to the wilds of Prince Edward County — he has been startlingly prolific, amassing an impressive body of work that began with 2017’s When The Demons Come and has carried on through 2020’s Radiations and the following year’s The Architect.
David cites Canadian poets Al Purdy and Nelson Ball for inspiring many of his lyrics, with a predominant theme being the perils of hard living. Musically, he builds upon a naturally soulful foundation few of his contemporaries possess, putting him firmly at the vanguard of the alt-country/Americana scene.
With “The Moonlight Waltz”, David once again demonstrates his uncanny ability to find the sweet spot between simplicity and boundary pushing, with the end result being a song that delivers a pure message in a timeless package. The song is available at Allen’s Bandcamp page and on all streaming services.
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