Dave’s True Story: Nature

Imagine a decaffeinated Cor-rine Drewery (satin-voiced lead singer for ’80s pop darlings Swing Out Sister) injected with a syringe-ful of Deb-bie Harry and you’ll start to understand the languid, cashmere-and-concrete appeal of Kelly Flint, captivating frontwoman for the New York underground’s worst kept secret, Dave’s True Story. But, just as Drewery isn’t complete without keyboardist Andy Connell, the brilliance of Flint’s yin is dependant on the sagely sociological yang of the band’s namesake, lyricist/guitarist Dave Cantor.

Navigating a world defined by defeatism and negativity, Flint and Cantor (together with bassist/coproducer Jeff Eyrich, pianist Jon Dryden and various other exceptional playmates) serve up what might best be described as self-help jazz infused with street-smart cynicism. Their first three albums sold an impressive total of 50,000 copies, largely through word of mouth among savvy Manhattanites. Now, with the dynamic mix of postmillennial parables that fills Nature, count on Dave’s True Story to embrace the wider audience it so richly deserves.

Originally Published July 1, 2005