Paul DeChambeau’s latest CD Wonder is loaded with all the subtle interplay of instruments he’s known for. A multi-instrumentalist, DeChambeau, of Salem, Massachusetts, plays all the instruments on this recording, and he has meshed their sounds into perfect song structures with wonderful motions. His voice on these tracks has a handsome sprawl that rides well over the arc of his musical creations.
Conjuring vibes and emotional states is one of this singer-songwriter’s strengths. Mellow in its long, flowing narrative, title track “Wonder” feels like a pleasant ride out on a soundtrack album. DeChambeau’s lilting melody line and smooth vocal melody feel like the music playing as the credit rolls and the story has come to a spiritually fulfilling end. DeChambeau has got a vibraphone melody going on which travels beneath his acoustic guitar mission to suggest much has been settled and it’s now time to move onto even greater efforts.
With a touch of piano over a mellow groove, DeChambeau manages to whip up a special feeling on “Believe.” His sweet chorus, tender lead guitar melody, and flowing vocal rasp sprinkle something extra on this ode to personal faith. DeChambeau ‘s personal touch at the microphone makes it all come together with a plethora of instruments sailing in one happy direction.
“Believe” gives an upswing kick with its guitar strum and spiky piano line. The lilting piano line and the thickness of the acoustic guitar chords keep the groove as well as the pretty spirit of this tune in motion. An electric guitar line moves through all with a considerate lightness, insuring not to overwhelm the rest of the instrumentation.
“Like You Do” feels like an anthem with DeChambeau’s voice rising ever higher in emotive and lyrical purpose. The hearty strum of his acoustic and the rippling notes from his electric weave a perfect platform for his thoughtful, sensitive vocal delivery. He moves through this one by carefully calibrating his voice over that wedge of sweet guitars, a lead, rhythm, and a vocal twisted together like soft serve ice cream flavors.
“Sail Away” features more of DeChambeau’s excellent scene setting method.. He gets a solid strum going on, a timing that leaves open just enough space for his bright piano notes. The combination of acoustic guitar and piano creates a nice texture for his warm, amicable vocal tone to sail over. A quiet drama ensues between voice, acoustic guitar and piano, and, just when that all weaved plenty of emotive texture in this tune, a sharp electric guitar melody blares bitter sweetly, conjuring a forlorn feeling for all the things in the songwriter’s life that he needs to sail away from.
With a buoyant groove, “It’s Time” travels a merry path along plenty of open spaces that DeChambeau fills in with an assertive vocal line, meeting the punctuation of the rhythm section. Meanwhile, this singer-songwriter’s philosophical view of life rides a smooth rail across his arc of instrumentation. One can picture him waving to the listener from a train window as this tune progresses.
“Feel My Love” walks gently in with a strum of single acoustic guitar notes, notes that fall soft as rain, setting the scene for this quiet, tender moment. DeChambeau’s handsome vocal floats by like a cloud on a summer’s day. Sprinkling in some sensitive, forlorn lead guitar phrasing, and the whole thing becomes like a pretty glass bowl with multiple shadings.
“Fade Away” sways into the listener’s consciousness with its swaying motions. An electric guitar gives off single notes that ring with atmosphere and emotion. DeChambeau’s voice soars high over these atmospherics, rising and arcing with tasteful restraint, leading the tune toward a pleasant destination.
With a sensitive pop piano line as its backbone, “Half Of Who I Was” takes its time moving forward, a John Lennon influence in the way DeChambeau spreads out his vocal delivery. Laying out his reflections in quirkily titled song, this singer-songwriter manages to marry regret to beautifully sentimental music.
“Don’t Take The Child” puts pleasant puffs of warm acoustic strumming and an earnest vocal over sweet coos and tender lead guitar playing. As the softer ends of this song invite one into its smooth center, the whispery chorus sustains and a pretty as sunlight on leaves melody carry one further into a bright world.
“When The World Began To Shake” closes out with some the best lead guitar phrasing on this album. Its zig zags around the voice and acoustic guitar fill the song with a purposeful banner and a sense of motion. DeChambeau’s vocal is a smooth, handsome flow that he uses to coat his lyrics in something artful, emotive, and fun. When the listener focuses on the bass line DeChambeau plays, he becomes even easier to understand. He does not want to overwhelm his listener with busy musicianship. He wants to paint an accurate aural picture of what is going on in his song and he does it all with a subtle grace.
DeChambeau has accomplished much musically and lyrically on this Wonder album. Yet, more importantly, he has created with it a tender portrait of his world view and he makes it a pleasant personal journey for his listeners.
