Dave Yaden

“Bear Me Up” CD

By: Becca Lestner
 

Dave Yaden may be a name unknown to some, but this singer/songwriter may have just accomplished his breakthrough act with the creation of his first solo album in “Bear Me Up.”

Don’t say Yaden is a new comer to the music scene, because the indie rock crowd will call you a liar. Instead, realize that Yaden has been working with the best and many well-known musical talents for years and is now venturing out on his own with the help of a few friends.  
 
After growing up in Houston, Texas with a piano at his fingertips even at age 10, Yaden quickly decided that LA was the place to begin expanded his musical reach, experience and talent.  So, off to LA and USC he went and oh, how the musical experiences followed him. Late in 2001, he signed a record contract with Atlantic Records alongside singer-songwriter Joe Firstman. With Joe, he toured the country, opening for everyone from Sheryl Crow to Michelle Branch to Willie Nelson. Since then, Yaden has co-written songs on records by Tyler Hilton, Josh Kelley, Josh Hoge, Curtis Peoples, and Lady Antebellum.

Yaden is without a doubt a piano man at heart and you can tell even from the first track of the new CD. He’s been consistently compared with the likes of Billy Joel and and I’d say these comparisons are extremely accurate, especially on tracks like My Angle and Ryder’s Song.  The CD boosts a laid back, sing-a-long type atmosphere – you won’t find any hard, overpowering hard rock-type ballads that just make us think the artist is trying to hard to be played on the radio.  

With just a simple browse of his web site (www.daveyaden.com) and his Myspace page (www.myspace.com/daveyaden), you can really get a sense that Yaden is just a slave to his craft and that the goal of his new CD is simply to create great music for music’s sake.  Afterall, the CD was created inside the four walls of fellow songwriter and producer, Todd Beauchamp’s home with lyrics recorded in the bathroom. But, regardless of the lack of glitz and glam of a big, shiny Hollywood recording studio, the CD does just what its supposed to do – give listeners a glimpse inside the heart and soul of the artist and be simply, without question, easy to listen to.  

This reviewer’s favorite cuts were Alexandra, My Angel and Ryder’s Song.