Dave Tate & Victoria Lagerström

The Houses Of Healing

The last time I was in contact with Dave Tate, he sat urgently thinking about moving. Not necessarily because he was dissatisfied with where he lived, surrounded by glorious Zion National Park in Utah, but because it is virtually impossible in America to build a career as a singer-songwriter if you so far away from civilization. It will be interesting to see what impact such a move will have on his art. Music as breathtakingly beautiful and spiritual as again found on his fourth cd The Houses of Healing could almost only come from an environment in which the divine ideal is almost obtained. 

 I still personally find it difficult to comprehend that Tate, with such divine albums has received virtually no responses. I count myself very lucky to have this wonderful music. I have come to know long before now, as Nick Drake was once discovered to be,  that Tate is one of the most unique singer-songwriters ever.

 Five out of Five Stars

 -Eric van Domburg Scipio, Heaven Magazine, the Netherlands

The Houses of Healing

 It is a perfect winter album – fitting for a time of elongated hours, of
 stillness and quiet. A time of drawing in and looking in. A time of being
 within. Its sound evokes all of this, yet its lyrics speak to an interior
 life of upheaval and change. It is an album of contradiction and clarity,
 of simplicity and great depth.

 The Houses of Healing is the ninth studio album from Springdale-based
 singer/songwriter Dave Tate. And here, he is at his best. Houses combines
 Tate’s soulful voice, his intimate acoustic style and poetic lyrics into a
 singular sound experience. It is haunting, moving, alive and hopeful. This
 album is capable of inspiring both tears and contemplative silence. It is
 capable of acting as ambient background music or as soul-stirring
 instigator. Such is the talent of Dave Tate.

 Of the 11 tracks on Houses, my favorites include “I’ve Known This,” End of
 Seas,” “By Your Side” and “Karmic Circle.” Each of these has a melodic
 chorus that acts as a grounding influence in the midst of major spiritual
 revelation. Themes of nonattachment, surrender, awakening and rebirth are
 common on Houses. “Karmic Circle” is indicative of this as he sings,

 “Enter the night, wrapped in the light of you/ I feel the pull, with every
moaning move/ I’d grown so tired of running away/ From the fog and the pain/ So I
turn and walk into the unknown.” There are times when Tate’s songs remind me of Rumi,

both in subject matter and tone. He speaks of his transformative surrender, of being “new and naked to what I was.” And he also mentions a figure who ushered him through this process. Just as with Rumi’s “beloved,” I sense there are layers to the being referenced in Tate’s songs – from the cosmic Divine, to the intimate divine. This is just a hint at some of the depth of The Houses of Healing. And this is only my interpretation.

The album is also full of many poetic phrases in which my writer-self
delights, like “Our time is right for divine living art,” “the gaping
shores of soul,” and “Underneath words is the language of space.” With every
listen, I find another level of it to love. The only jarring moment I find on Houses is the second track, “Fall Apart.” It leads in with flute music that feels incongruous with the rest of the album. Perhaps this is my personal bias. Living in the Southwest, I’m used to flute music being used, at times, as a stand-in for a sense of
spirituality and connection to the divine. Here, Dave Tate shows us he’s
capable of the real thing with just his voice and guitar.

I don’t mean to make this album sound like it was crafted only for peaceniks
and Buddhists. Tate’s talent is bigger than our ability to label it. The
Houses of Healing is contemporary, spiritual folk…and it is so much more.

"Being a blonde who majors in a style of music that is both introspective and vulnerable, Lagerstrom will instantly garner comparisons to tragedy laced Folk artist Eva Cassidy. But that’s where the comparisons end. In all actuality, Lagerstrom is blessed with vocals that are like a collage of Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies and Gladys Knight all molded into one."

- The Independent

"Her voice is so inviting that you want to wrap yourself in it like a warm blanket."

- The Spectrum,

"Lagerström’s voice has true Soul in it and I don’t mean the swinging kind but the kind of Soul that gets under your skin and makes you itch.”

- Folk Forum, Netherlands

"Heaven Sent, the new album from Victoria Lagerström, is fascinatingly beautiful...Victoria’s soft soul-jazz voice is like a young to midaged Joni Mitchell."

- Meadowmusic, Sweden

(Continued from article on Dave Tate) "...It's a quality that made the gorgeous Swedish singer-songwriter Victoria Lagerstrom contact him via e-mail, fall in love with him (Tate) and resulted in a marriage in the spring of 2007. Lagerstrom had already recorded the CD Heaven Sent in Sweden, more richly produced, although slightly less unique than her new husband's albums, but still with a quite striking style all of her own, in which elements seem to come together of Beth Gibbons (Portishead), Gladys Knight and Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies). At once soulful and folky, Lagerstrom manages to sound angel like and down to earth at the same time, making the timeless Heaven Sent a more than enjoyable record on its own merits."

-Eric Van Domburg Scipio

It's both curious and mind-boggling. After he released the stunning album The Solitude of Here it was expected that record companies would wear out Dave Tate's doorstep. Why this didn't happen is anybody's guess. It may be because Dave Tate cherishes his independence, but he did hint more than once at the fact that his life would be a fair deal easier with a record deal. So the most recent album, The Final Hour, was again released independently.

The Final Hour once again establishes Dave Tate formidable qualities as a singer/ songwriter so enthusiasts of The Solitude of Here can buy this CD blindly. It calls to mind the same salutary atmosphere that The Solitude of Here had. All words of praise I had for The Solitude can be applied to this CD as well: it has as much character as a Nick Drake album; Tate has a voice which can closely resemble the young Paul Simon (Fall to You, Beyond the Veil) and which is very much like that of David Gates in the higher registers. Still, he retains his individual and entirely unique style and so avoids becoming an epigone of the abovementioned singers. Tate's classically trained voice effortlessly sings the higher notes, which have an actual function in the songs and aren't meant to show off. These notes give the tracks an additional suspense and overtones. Apart from this, Tate's diction is perfect so one can clearly hear the separate words in the lyrics. Furthermore, Tate has a certain, clearly recognisable, way of playing the guitar in which he alternates between flowing and staccato melodies and rhythms (Fourth of July,Rainy Days).

The entire album exudes a comfortable sense of peace and serenity. The poetic lyrics shouldn't be subjected to interpretation, which would be no easy task anyway because they're rather mysterious at times. They have to be felt instead. Dave Tate gives his listener room to do this. He weaves pauses into his compositions by using short breaks or guitar riffs so the listener has time to let everything sink in. I really like this style in which mindfulness and intensity go hand in hand. In some tracks I miss Ann Marshall and Joe Jones who respectively played the violin and the bassoon on The Solitude. Cellist Ryan Kratsch does feature on this CD again and the way in which the cello harmonises with Tate's vocals and guitar is a true treat for the ears. The devotee will have to go to Cdbaby or Tate's website in order to get their own copy. As far as I'm concerned Tate is the best singer/songwriter around at the moment.

Grade: 9 out of 10

Brilliant Dave Tate

I still find it totally inexplicable that two years ago someone like Dave Tate could make such amazing albums as The Solitude of Here, In The Rhythm and Home Is In The Stars, from which such an exceptional talent spoke as a singer, as a guitar player, as a songwriter, as a producer, as an arranger and he still couldn't find a record company interested in releasing any of them. How mistaken all these people were, is evident when we played Dave Tate's latest CD The Final Hour, as this album is even more heart stoppingly beautiful than his previous records, a feat we didn't think possible.

There didn't seem to be any way his singing or guitar playing could be improved, and although we thought the same of his songwriting, he succeeds in lifting the basic level another notch, so that his own unique style (think of a cross between Paul Simon and Jeff Buckley, not just in style but also in quality) hits such a level of perfection that it's hard to comprehend anything more beautiful.

2008 - Dave Tate - The Final Hour - Chronicle of an artist on the cutting edge

If you followed the news of this music on WIMMER early November, you probably had a crush on the album The Same Heart Dave Tate has released with his beautiful wife Victoria Lagerström under the artist name of Dave and Victoria. I promised in that review to chronicle of his most recent solo work to date: The Final Hour, released in 2008.

This latest album, that I’ve listened to repeatedly over the last few days, makes me think that Dave Tate is one of my favorite discoveries of 2009 in the category Male Artist. His exceptional silky and velvety voice generates a durable and powerful enchantment. His writing is poetic and delicate guitar playing is beautiful in it’s simplicity and perfection. All these artistic qualities show that Dave Tate is an artist not to be missed. His work is in the vein of the great male artists as well as his contemporaries Ray Lamontagne and Damien Rice. But unlike them the music of Dave Tate has a more sparse, dreamy, airy and refined finish. One can also compare his work to one of his biggest inspirations Paul Simon.

The Final Hour is a gem of a folk album that soothes the soul and lets hear pleasure even when dealing with intense emotion. Dave strikes a perfect balance between melancholy and bright, the album is always light and fresh it never falls into the weight or repetition. One senses the profound honesty and authenticity of the independent artist who, accompanied by only three other musicians; bass (Pete Jensen), cello (Ryan Krastch) and percussion (Lucas Hieronymous), imposes his timeless, moving, folk style. The Final Hour consists of 12 jewels. It is very difficult to decide which track is your favorite since they are all such quality songs: Fall To You, Beyond The Veil, Rainy Days, Change Is Coming, Music and Sea Without a Shore are just a few examples that show how this masterful, brilliant artist is more than deserving of your attention.

The Final Hour is a complete success that combines deep emotion and pleasure, Dave Tate is definitely one of the great independent artists.

The Final Hour

Although the instrumentation on Dave Tate’s “The Final Hour” is fairly sparse – Tate’s acoustic guitar along with occasional cello and light percussion – he still manages to find that lush sound that gives his music more tonal depth than traditional folk music. Tate’s brand of contemporary folk is more about the melody than the words, but he’s also a skilled songwriter who doesn’t give into clichés. His clear vocals stand out on “Fall to You,” which could serve as a blueprint of how love songs should sound. It sounds strange to say a guy has a beautiful voice, but Tate does, and his operatic training is apparent on tracks like the majestic “Music” as he perfectly describes his own sound: “Music to soothe the soul.” He’s no slouch when it comes to the guitar either. His finger-work rings out on “Music” and “Now I’m Off” and chimes on “Not Alone” and “Rainy Days.” “Beyond the Veil” sports an addictive riff and “Service of the Song” practically explodes with sound.

The Same Heart

As good as Dave Tate’s and Victoria Lagerström’s solo work sounds, they are at their best when they combine forces for “The Same Heart.” Here we find their passion for each other expressed in musical form, their smooth voices perfectly compatible as they harmonize over luxuriant textures of saxophone, strings and Tate’s acoustic guitar. At times Tate’s voice is softer, adding harmonies to Lagerström’s powerful vocals. But at in some tracks, like “Life Through Death,” his voice rises to meet hers. Then on songs like “Play” it’s the opposite, with Tate dominating the vocal playground and Lagerström filling in the harmonies. We hear Tat’s range, from a deep tenor to high falsetto, on “Break Away” and Lagerström’s voice soars on cuts like “Children of Zion,” an album standout. As in their solo music, Dave and Victoria usually rise above the clichés in their songwriting, even in love songs, which are often rife with clichés. The album’s title track tells the story of their romance as Tat sings of love coming from across the ocean. They also bring stylistic elements from their solo music with Lagerström adding elements of jazz and soul to Tate’s contemporary folk pop sound.

This is by far the most grabbing male folk album to come through our doors in months. It's hard not to make comparisons to Paul Simon's more sensitive folk writing with a similar mix of warmth, open space, breathy vocals, innocence and a dewy, green clarity of intention. His songs have a way of stealing your breath away and removing you momentarily from the passing of time, suspending you in full-body harmonies. While he has a knack for open-hearted, reflective songs, there is the slightest echo of acoustic jam band writing, giving this album a well-balanced emotional scope from track one to eleven. Bravo.

Supertalent

Once in a blue moon you discover an artist who is so incredibly good that you can't really believe not all music magazines are writing about him already. To me Dave Tate is such a person. I read a review of The Solitude of Here on the CDBaby website, listened to a few tracks and was immediately sold. What a marvellous voice! At once versatile, dynamic and angel-like. What a songs! Like Paul Simon at his best or Don McLean at his most spiritual (The Grave). What a wonderful melodies! What great guitar playing! And what a beautiful sound! Warm, clear, and also quite special through the accompaniment of violin, cello and bassoon.

At the same time as The Solitude of Here Dave Tate also sent another album he had just finished, now with a full band, going under the name Dave Tate Music. Where The Solitude of Here is quiet and spiritual, In the Rhythm is jazzy and rocking, in a way that reminds one of Jeff Buckley's Grace, with the same kind of evasive, gripping melodies and sung by an equally beautiful voice. The great thing about Dave Tate is that he reminds you of all these greats, but at the same time has a unique style that's all his own.

Whether you hear his quieter side or his jazzier, more rocking stuff, it's all quite distinct, without becoming, even for the slightest moment, impenetrable or slick. I'm baffled that he shouldn't be able to find a regular record company, as he possesses the special kind of talent you only see come alone once a decennium. If you're lucky. 

Dave Tate: an Exceptionally Talented First-Rate Singer/Songwriter

Every now and again you may find that words are inadequate to describe the beauty of a CD, which makes, to use a paraphrase of one of Frank Zappas quotations, writing about music as awkward as dancing about architecture. Nevertheless Ill make an attempt to do so.

 You rarely come across a CD of such exquisite quality that you are entirely enthralled by it. A CD which is always close to your sound system so you can play it daily. A CD which keeps you awake because you cant seem to get some of its passages out of your head and which, when played in company, will immediately stop all conversation and make people ask you about its artist and title. In short, a CD which will make your heart beat faster and which will dominate your musical life for a longer period of time.

 The brilliant singer/songwriter who made such a CD is Dave Tate. My attention was drawn to his CD, The Solitude of Here, by a review in Heaven magazine, in which he was given high praise, which still seems like an understatement after youve heard the album. The Solitude of Here makes you feel nostalgic because it takes you back to the time of the great singer/songwriters. In some songs, such as Into Mercy or Rose, Tate sounds somewhat like a young Paul Simon, while comparisons of his voice to those of David Gates and Don McLean are obvious when he sings in a high pitched voice. In addition to that, The Solitude of Here, has the introspective, intimate quality of a Nick Drake CD.

All of these musicians have made important contributions to music in the past and I am much mistaken if Dave Tates name wont be added to this list, in time. Still he is not an epigone of the examples I mentioned above. This is due to Dave Tates talent to revive old times without wanting to sound or sounding old fashioned. Dave Tate's themes are universal but his approach is anything but that. This can already be heard in the opening track, Evensong. After you've just recovered from hearing Tates marvellous voice and virtuoso guitar-playing, a bassoon joins in to give the track an additional emotional overtone. You know youve come across something special from that moment on. The next track, Left a Mark, is a breathtakingly beautiful composition which is a perfect synthesis between vocals/guitar music and chamber music. The trio of classically trained musicians, consisting of Anne Marshall (violin), Ryan Kratsch (cello) and Joe Jones (bassoon),adds depth and dynamics to several tracks through subtle contributions. The vocal climax in Harmony, which in itself is no small feat, is intensified by superb string music by Marshall and Kratsch and in Light was Low the polyphonic cello and violin music pull right at your heartstrings.

 But the elements which make this album into a true listening experience are Dave Tate’s voice and guitar playing. This can be heard in songs such as Light was Low, The Faucon or Rose. All songs are sung, or to put it more aptly, experienced by Tate with great intensity, which makes them get under my skin permanently. The tracks on this CD are characterized by vulnerable poignancy instead of cheap sentiment or melodrama.

 Dave Tate has released this album on his own, dubbing and mastering it himself. The recordings are either unbelievably clear, or they've been made in an exceptionally good recording studio. Its hard to believe but this CD isn't distributed and can only be bought on the Internet at www.cdbaby.com/artist/davetate, where you can also listen to fragments of the album. This CD deserves to be better distributed; it should be available at every record shop. This masterpiece is worthy of a place in the singer/ songwriter Hall of Fame. I discovered that The Solitude of Here is not a nine days wonder when I got hold of Tates second album Home is in the Stars, on which he validates his exceptional talent.

Rating: 9,5 (out of 10)

Original review at www.folkforum.nl in Dutch (translation: Mijke van de Wiel) 

"This is the perfect companion to "The Solitude of Here". I suspect someday people will be buying them as a set. Dave's style is starting to truly be defined with this effort. He blends all the honestly and introspectiveness of the folk masters with guitar virtuosity and haunting vocals. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who offers this same "triple threat", and if you did, you'd find something very very special. We've all had moments where the daily grind of life breaks apart a bit and we glimpse the beauty that exists and has always existed beyond the veil. Great things come from this place. Love. Authenticity. Compassion. Sometimes we find a key to help open that door. I recommend "Home Is In The Stars".

I've been playing Dave's music in my yoga classes and at home for several years. Astonishingly exquisite, his voice seems as if it is continually tuned by the endlessness of eons. His musicality too, seems as sharply soothing and soaring as the patina plated sandstone spires of his southern Utah homeland. A 'Tate' album is is a precious gem in a jewel case. i bow to the beauty and poetic verve of Dave Tate.