Woman

Dave Matel - Woman
by: Tim Wardyn

Dave Matel has been playing music since he was four at the Cleveland Institute of Music. And the training has done wonders for him as he shows hints of greatness on his debut EP Woman. The downside however is that he seems to be stuck in a mid-tempo pop rut.

On the opener Bloody December, Matel shows incredible promise as he invokes three legends: The voice of an early Bruce Springsteen, the extremely complex and intricate music of Christian legend Rich Mullins and the political lyrics of a young Bob Dylan. But he digresses into 80s hair metal balladry on the title track where Matel sings "oman you know youve got to look for something more/ Then what you got."keep waiting for the sample from Wingers "eaded for a Heartbreak,"but was sadly disappointed.

Matel must have run out of lyrics on the next track Skies Are Falling. The mid-tempo beat makes the song passable if it wasnt for the boredom inducing chorus that takes up the last half of the song. He picks it back up however, with the Elton John-esque piano-driven The One with the contemplative chorus Why Angel Why?

This six-song debut EP shows the promise that Matel has. He did everything with this album, from singing and writing all the songs, to playing all the instruments, to producing and recording the entire thing. There is no doubt that Matel has talent. He shows hints of greatness throughout Woman, but he just seems to be stuck in a mid-tempo pop realm.