Ever wondered what a ukelele version of The Ramones' I Wanna Be Sedated would sound like? I thought not. Still, this is what is in store for you if you stick around until the end of this short ten-track album.
This novelty number shows that San Diego's Christopher Dale may worry about getting old (Don't Say Happy Birthday) and mistakes he has made in the past (Oh No) but when all's said and done he's a straightforward, fun loving guy. All the other songs are his own and offer uncomplicated snapshots of life and love.
He labels them as pop rather than folk, and as you might expect from a man who set up his own jingle company (Marketable Melodies), the tunes follow familiar themes and have catchy hooks.
A song called New Jersey even has a ready made slogan which the Garden State could use: "Always glad to see you in New Jersey" and the radio friendly angle is clear from the opening track , Hilary , dedicated to "the Deejay that gets me down the freeway" on 94.9fm San Diego.
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Relationship issues dominate most of the other tunes. Songs like Addicted which likens being hooked on a girl to having a drug/drink dependency ("I can stop if I want to") and Saving My Kisses is about the dilemma of shall I/shan't I upgrade a platonic relationship to something more. Hands would make a perfect song for secret gropers everywhere ("my hands were made for touching you ..........the more I touch the more I feel") but I suppose is intended in honour of tender caresses.
The album has a melodic, easy listening vibe without really having anything to set it apart from a whole heap of other records in much the same vein.
Christopher Dale online
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