As a musician who used to open up for a then-obscure Tracy Chapman during the '80s, singer/songwriter Dan Weintraub (http://danweintraub.net) may have been influenced by her. Both share a knack for vivid, confessional storytelling. The main difference is that Chapman's style could be easily digested by the everyday Joe. Weintraub, on the other hand, is decidedly moodier, more challenging of a listen.
Whether or not the songs on "The Gap Between v2" were written during Chapman's salad days is something I'm not aware of. And, frankly, she might not have been an inspiration to him at all. Certainly, Weintraub's lyrics are edgier and his voice can be depressing at times. They seem to be carrying a heavy weight, the sum total of life's disappointments. While there is joy in "My Daughter Dearly," much of "The Gap Between v2" is the stuff of navel-gazing.
I find Weintraub's meditations on God ("Church," "Jerusalem," "Seven Days") to be the most fascinating and compelling because he seems to be torn between what he was taught as a child and what he has learned as an adult. At least, that's how I interpret them, and only Weintraub is aware of their proper context. Nevertheless, I can hear the struggle in his vocals, especially when you think the song has ended, only to hear Weintraub return, sounding more weary than ever.
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This is provocative folk music without the political baggage. Weintraub's words are extremely personal, and perhaps we were meant to understand them all. At times I felt I was invading a conversation between Weintraub and myself. It's that kind of electrifying intimacy that makes "The Gap Between v2" such an enigmatic and strangely alluring affair.
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