Fans who follow David Nail's Twitter feed are generally more likely to hear his thoughts on sports than music. That said, Nail's all-guy persona online is belied by his musical image--that of a emotional and poetic romantic; an artist that is a bit of an anomaly in a genre that's currently favoring its boys more on the outlaw side of things.
David NailNail uses this bit of outsider-ness to stark advantage on his sophomore album, even giving it a title that doesn't sound anything at all like what one might choose to name a country record. Nail admits to being a fan of lush storytellers such as Vince Gill and Glen Campbell; and it shows in his work on this project, which makes a centerpiece out of his rich voice and talent for heartfelt ballads.
Most interestingly about Nail's new work is that it's poised perfectly at this point for major success into pop boundaries as well as its established foothold in Nashville. His debut album in 2009 put him on the verge of this, with singles "Red Light" and the Grammy-nominated "Turning Home" making their way onto Billboard's all genre radar. Also, he fact that he opened shows for crossover success Taylor Swift certainly can't hurt him in this arena one bit.
However, his new record is really providing the push for a wider audience. Songs such as the title track, "Desiree" (a cut borrowed from Keith Urban, who recorded it back when he was part of the Ranch), and "I Thought You Knew" are sprinkled with piano and lush arrangements that make them solid choices for adult alternative listeners--even ones who don't particularly care for country at all.
Nail recently visited the Ram Country studios and gave us an exclusive live performance of the first single off The Sound Of A Million Dreams, "Let It Rain." Here it is for you to enjoy--be sure to let me know what you think of his new album.
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