Obadiah Gamble – Notice
This album sets the mood with its ethereal intro, followed by gentle acoustic guitar strings & mature yet young-sounding vocal tone. It sounds righteously fresh for an indie artist. Obadiah Gamble seems to have a sense of age without being old & would be comfortable in the ‘60s coffee house scene where artists began their careers & formed their personalities.
As I listened, I couldn’t help but hear some similar tonalities with the virtually unknown but strong songwriter & vocalist Connie Converse (who went missing decades ago). But for me, Ms. Converse was as intriguing as the late English singer-songwriter Nick Drake. Obadiah has this mystery in his voice; it’s not childish, it has a youthful finesse. “Fire” is the ear-tugger. The song titles are not creative, but while that flaw can be corrected with time & development, the songs are close to sophisticated in spots.
The most welcoming facet is his use of a jazzy piano (“Eyes For You”) & he’s disciplined, articulate & melancholy with good vocal expressiveness. The 9 track Notice (Dropped Jan. 9/Independent/29:35) is his debut recorded at his home studio in Minneapolis, MN & produced by Obadiah (lead vocals/piano/programming/electric-classical-6 & 12 string acoustic guitars-rubber bridge guitar/bgv).
The performances aren’t as depressing as some arrangements may suggest, but soothing in their uniqueness. There’s a creative, original system at work, a loneliness that permeates the song structure but not in a solitary manner, — more like a reassuring one. That you are not alone.
The daintiness of “Do We Know” is a good intro to the far more upbeat & well-sung “Late Night Thoughts.” A song that, instead of having bright color melodic notes, has a more pastel sound. This is a magnetic tune. While many artists perform, they prefer to dole out their music like chunks of chocolate, while Obadiah offers tasty morsels with rum in them.
“Felt It” is strong. Something an emo would embrace & nurture in their complicated moments. Whereas the title track “Notice” is more deeply arranged & showcased. There are plenty of things going on in these pieces. Casual listeners may need to grow into it with repeated listens, but this will find an audience.
The appeal comes from subject matter largely unexplored by the more bombastic performers. This deals with anxiety, identity, self-doubt, patience, & apprehension on a melodic level that’s expressive & reaches out where other artists can’t reach. Because they don’t see.
“Notice” is almost like what a senior citizen & special needs children feel when they lean into you & whisper, “we’re invisible,” to others. Yes, it comes full circle. Obadiah Gamble challenges listeners to see who’s invisible & it’s commendable.
Highlights – “Fire,” “Eyes For You,” “Do We Know,” “Late Night Thoughts,” “Felt It,” “Notice,” & “Outro.”
Musicians – Jordan Webber (bass), Zach Minkin (drums), Michael Cain (piano), Isaac Ness (clarinet), Kyle Garay (flute), Karen Thomas (violin), Christy Libbus (cello), Tamsin Stockman & Harry Kirkpatrick (bgvs).
Photography courtesy of Jordan Webber. CD @ Apple & https://obadiahgamble.noiseyard.com/