Most of the work on Location Location Location, the new album by Anthony David, will ring familiar to long time fans. Seven of the ten tracks were featured on David’s prior studio projects. Those projects – Three Chords and the Truth, The Red Clay Chronicles and As Above So Below – are notable both for the evolution of David’s sound and for their high quality. Listeners might have their favorites – I’m partial to Three Chords – but nobody’s throwing any of these records away.

Even though Location, like the mini-compilation Acey Ducey, is made up mostly of tunes from the previous albums, the new CD has a sound of its own. Location includes remixes of three tracks from As Above So Below and live versions of some of David’s songs along with his interpretation of Drake’s “Find Your Love.” That’s why it will be hard to pan David for dumping yet another best of album on the market. Even though seven of the songs appeared on previous records, these cuts sound different than the tracks on those previous releases.

Location’s three original tracks are what will remind listeners why they became Anthony David fans. Those three tracks feature intimate vocals, well-written tunes that showcase David’s skills as a storyteller. “Location Location Location” is probably the best example of the many virtues that David brings to the table. The cut employs the oft-quoted real estate term about the three most important factors to consider when buying. I thought that it would be another critique of gentrification – ala “Red Clay Chronicles.” Instead, David addresses the unique spot that earth occupies in the solar system, and how the “pale blue dot” – alone among the planets in this solar system – has the perfect mix that allows life to survive and thrive. The other nine (or eight planets if you want to diss Pluto) are the outer space equivalent of toxic waste dumps. With lines like “where it’s too cold/it’s not too hot/ we’re Goldilocks” and “it’s just right/where we get to witness every season/stars and moons on every night,” David subtly reminds us that humanity doesn’t have the option of packing up and moving. Meanwhile, the cut “Rollin’ Mojo” brings David back to the acoustic sound that he perfected on Three Chords and the Truth. This track plays to David’s strong suit a vocalist, and it’s the honesty and clarity in his voice that allows him to be credible as a singer that is equally masculine and vulnerable.

The album’s four live tracks give listeners who have not had the good fortune to see David in person a glimpse into the artist as live performer. David comes across as personable live performer who goes out of his way to make his audience comfortable. The sensitivity that he shows toward his live audience is mirrored by the empathy he shows toward purchasers of this project.

What could have been nothing more than a file dump on disk became an opportunity for Anthony David to give his fans something new for their money. The quality of the three new tracks makes Location Location Location money well spent. Recommended

By Howard Dukes

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