Indiana

Following a pair of terrific records filled with pop songwriting of the highest order, David Mead and RCA parted ways, leaving him without a label to release the completed Wherever You Are (produced by Stephen Hague). The layoff that ensued (three years between albums) led to a return to his childhood home of Nashville, a marriage, and the recording and release of Indiana, placing Wherever You Are on hold. Co-produced by Mead and cellist David Henry, Indiana, with its quiet, gentle tone and sense of transition, seems to be his most personal work to date. The acoustic guitars and strings that are at the center of the record's sound are the perfect backdrop for songs such as the weary and reflective "Nashville," the distant solitude of the title track, and the frayed hope of "Queensboro Bridge." And while the material here can have the feel of adult contemporary singer/songwriter fare, the depth of Mead's writing, both lyrically and melodically, steers it clear of any of the banalities that can creep into the genre. He never goes for cheap emotion or the obvious melodic turn, which is why some of the best moments here are the ones that seep in only after a few spins. Indiana may lack the immediate hookiness that made The Luxury of Time and Mine and Yours so irresistible, but it's every bit as strong and should prove to be just as enduring.