Davíd Garza
Kingdom Come and Go (Wide Open)
Davíd Garza isn’t much of a traditionalist musically, but he’s definitely got an old-school work ethic: He writes prolifically, makes albums ASAP, and gets them to fans by any means necessary. So, while Garza waits for the Atlantic machinery to line up behind his second major-label release, the longtime local has gone back to the indie route for a lo-fi, lo-frills preview — much like last year’s 4-Track Manifesto offered a selection of homegrown tracks that appeared on his Atlantic debut, This Euphoria. While this latest one-day, four-track session often seems more like a rough blueprint than a manifesto, Kingdom Come and Go shows no shortage of promise. Garza’s always been a sucker for a quirky love song, and here they benefit from the four-track textures — effectively pitting manipulated voice against manipulated acoustic guitar. The prominence of the ballads may suggest a return to the kindler, gentler Davíd Garza, but there’s at least four tracks here — “Compassion,” “We on Fire,” “God’s Hands,” and “Anywhere” — that not only seem destined for the sophomore album, but also seem like prime opportunities for big-band, radio-ready dynamics. Then again, whether none or all of Kindgdom Come and Go winds up on the next album, it’s still a pretty compelling stand-alone effort, recorded because the songs are ready and released because he can. More power to him. 
This article appears in December 3 • 1999.