I’m unfamiliar with David Lewis and his previous work, but I am wondering what he’s been doing for the last six years, which is the time it’s taken him to deliver his latest album, which happens to be hiss fifth. Maybe just life: if so, it’s relatable. We all get sidetracked by life: who hasn’t spent at least one evening lately staring at a screen of some kind and in response to some nostalgia trigger like an old TV show being repeated or and old song or some retro sweets, and wondered ‘where did the time go?’
Lewis isn’t too dewy-eyed on this outing, and instead, while occasionally sounding like a rather jaunty John Denver, delivers some emotionally-rich reflections on life. The press release describes how “‘Among Friends’ speaks to the easy feelings of trust and companionship. These are songs played and recorded just for the fun of it, everyone bringing their talent, their ideas and their truth to contribute to the relaxed feel of the songs.”
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The ease and accessibility shine through, and if ‘Among Friends’ marks a departure from its predecessor, 2014s well-reviewed ‘Old World New World’, which was a percussion and electricity-free zone, while here, drums anchor many of the songs and Lewis – and his numerous friends – create something sonically solid, and with some neat tunes, too.
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