Dave Alves showcases his talents with debut album

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Providence via New Bedford singer-songwriter Dave Alves has performed in various establishments throughout New England. This includes local spots such as the Tavern On Main in East Greenwich and Black Oak Kitchen & Drinks in Coventry along with places on opposite sides of the region including Stowe Cider in the ski town of Stowe, Vermont and Nomans on the Massachusetts island of Martha’s Vineyard. Through his steady amount of gigs that often has him performing multiple times a week, he’s been able to harness his craft while playing both covers and originals. For the original side of his music, he’s going to be releasing his debut album Widdershins on March 20. There’s an acoustic foundation that’s consistently present within the record with electric riffs weaving in and out of various tracks.

Some of the best things take a while to come to fruition and this is the case with Alves’ debut. It took him nearly four years to complete the whole thing, but the attention to detail in each song proves that he really focused on making this album a fine piece of artistic work. There’s a variety of audial characteristics within the album, such as the sounds of seagulls squawking by the harbor, howling wind blowing through the air, walking feet crushing the leaves on the ground and rain hitting against the window. These qualities take the senses on a voyage and with eyes closed the listener is transported to another place. Art is pure and genuine when it’s a reflection of where the artist either comes from or has been and Widdershins is a stellar example when it comes to Alves’ identity as a musician.

While listening further as the songs go along, a major fact that’s evident is this isn’t your typical singer-songwriter album. A lot of singer-songwriters go into a recording session while aiming to have an organic approach. They want the listener to hear every strum, chord, progression and lyric with nothing getting in the way. There’s nothing wrong with that but Alves stands apart from this approach by including ethereal & atmospheric elements which accent the music. It’s different from the norm, but more importantly it has a substance that few contemporaries can match.

“Overture” is an instrumental track that exemplifies Alves’ talents on a six-string. A third of the way through there’s some beats and claps coming in as the infectious tones take hold. The dynamic between the acoustic and electric is evident within “Sundown” with “Repeat Steps 1-3” having a similar quality taking place as well. The difference is  the former having the amplification coming straight on halfway through while the latter has the electric guitars in the background while the acoustic is in the forefront. Other songs that are highlights within Widdershins include “Tree Of Life”, “You And Me Blues” and “Emotional And Unavailable”.

On the night of the album’s release, Alves will be ringing it in with a party at Askew on 150 Chestnut Street in Providence. Fellow local singer-songwriters Lauren King, Molly O’Leary and David Summit will be rounding out the bill. If you can’t make the show to grab a physical copy, log on to davealvesmusic.com to see where you can purchase and stream it. Make sure you give Widdershins a listen when it comes out, it’s real songwriting in its most authentic form.

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