Davíd Garza
(Wideopen)
Over the nearly 20 years Davíd Garza has been on Austin’s musical radar, he’s morphed from the charismatic leader of the onomatopoeic Twang Twang Shock-a-Boom to a solo alt-rocker looking to shred eardrums (and panties). He’s both mellowed artistically and retained his sensuous ear, as evidenced on this self-titled disc. “Litany of Woe” opens the album on a false note, the lyrics too talky and a bit blowsy. “Why Spy,” however, is quite possibly the sexiest song I’ve heard … ever. It’s the difference between having sex and making love: Garza’s falsetto, sung in a near-whisper, sparks a fire in naughty places while the guitar and strings sway gently in the background. Similarly, “Outloud” is a gently rolling, pastoral exploration of genuine love that must be expressed in wide-open spaces to be truly appreciated. Garza attempts some social criticism, as on “Ready to Fly” (“no more reality series,” he exhorts), but he’s best at seducing us with his confessional, romantic (and Romantic) lyrics. It’s an identity that’s always worked for him, and he’s only getting sexier with age. (Friday, March 17, 1am @ Copa)
This article appears in March 17 • 2006.