Taken from his new album, Found & Lost, Rude Awakening is a song that captures the essence of Canadian-born, London-based David Waldner and his music. Although it begins with a tentative sprinkling of lullaby chimes, it soon makes the transition into an upbeat, catchy song that soars with driven determination and a wonderful poppy sensibility. But behind the deceptively buoyant tune, Waldner's powerful lyrics address a life that hasn't gone exactly as planned.
However, far from being an ode to self-pity, Rude Awakening is directed at somebody else - an unnamed subject who hides from the truth rather than confronting it. What makes the song so successful is that it straddles both empathy and cruelty - on the one hand, it's a sympathetic wake-up call to friend, but on the other it's a snide riposte to a fallen enemy. It's for the listener to decide on the meaning, to make up their own mind, but either way, the wake-up call works as horns and driving, layered guitars constantly into a crescendo of realisation.
Only then do the powerful rhythms that have built up give way once again to the dreamy chimes that began the song - offering a way of escape, however imperfect, transient and unreal. Rude Awakening is a splendid example of form mirroring content and vice versa and demonstrates Waldner's more than able craft as a musician and lyricist, and his ability to combine the two to incredibly powerful, moving effect.
Waldner plays his album launch show tonight at Bar Music Hall, Shoreditch, London.
Words: Mischa Pearlman
06 Rude Awakening by jaywtaylor
10:31 AM | 12/05/2011
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Great song!
Posted by Thomas O'Leary at 4:15 PM | 12/05/2011 | Report Abuse
Great song!
Posted by Thomas O'Leary at 4:16 PM | 12/05/2011 | Report Abuse
Great song!
Posted by Thomas O'Leary at 4:16 PM | 12/05/2011 | Report Abuse
One of my favorite songs. The whole album is great. Dave is a very talented song writer. waldnermusic.com
Posted by Kim Austin at 2:33 AM | 13/05/2011 | Report Abuse
Love this song and the album.
Posted by Natalie at 2:48 AM | 14/05/2011 | Report Abuse
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