David Krystal

David Krystal’s debut album may, on the surface, seem like another entry by an indie artist in the musical brass ring sweepstakes, but Krystal comes to the table confident with 20 years of performing and writing music for TV, films and jingles to his credit. To wit, the public knows him anonymously as the guy that created the Tim Horton’s jingle ‘You Always Have Time for Tim Horton’s’.

‘View from the Inside’ is the first CD in a planned trilogy of albums under the banner ‘Songs of Hope & Sorrow’. Krystal presents us with an introspective sleepy album of mood altering modern blues, jazz, troubadour and singer-songwriter styles revolving around his proficiency on acoustic guitar and piano.The bluesy styled “Missing You” – which could easily be set alongside anything by Jason Mraz or John Mayer on soft-A/C radio - the poppy, 1970s Boz Scagg’s era California funk of “Addicted” and the spiritually uplifting,
New Orleans/Allan Toussaint horn accompanied “Like Yesterday” book end slower, mellower material that seem to be Krystal’s forte.

His comfort level shines on songs that evoke the contemporary sexy mood music of the upwardly mobile and yet recall that same lost art originally made iconic by the likes of Paul Simon and Van Morrison among others. “Wipe Away” is a smouldering “New York State of Mind” lounge tear-jerker while “Waiting For Love” enlightens and gives the audience, if not Krystal himself, a re-assurance of hope for the lovelorn.

Krystal’s vocal is pure with his falsetto swirling and cascading naturally – something that has been overdone by today’s male crooners and sits like a cloud on top of the silky smooth production. Those looking for wine and dine mood music would be best served with Krystal’s debut. - Jaimie Vernon, Contributing Writer at Cashbox Canada Magazine