Dent May

The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele

(Paw Tracks)

Record Review by Kevan Peterson

Dent May's opening track, appropriately titled “Welcome,” is an a cappella tune that literally welcomes the listener to the album.  An odd, possibly unnecessary addition to the track listing, however, it’s instantly followed by the catchy “Meet Me in the Garden.”  The strumming of the overtly mentioned ukulele is dwarfed by the bassier sound of the guitar but the song plays as one of the strongest tracks on the album, both lyrically and in terms of commerciability, though it sounds like it’s heavily borrowed from the feel good music of the '60s.

As the album progresses the lyrics get a little less witty.  “College Town Boy” opens with the lyrics “Meet me in the County Bar” which, minus the location of the meeting place, is word for word the title of the last song, “Meet me in the Garden.”  Surely Dent May has a wider vocabulary than he lets on here, or perhaps his lyrics just suffer from a fixation with meeting places.  The chorus “College town boy/get off your ass and do something” is amusing, although not exactly groundbreaking.

“Oh, Paris” finally features the cheery “feel good” sound of a strumming ukulele prominently.  The lyrics read quite literally as a love letter to Paris.  The trombone gives a quirky touch to the song.  It’s around the fifth track, “Howard,” that you realize Dent May has a formula for his songs and you’re in for a catchy, capable album that will offer few additional surprises from this point forward.  Strumming ukulele plus silly lyrics plus scattered fifties style background vocals plus occasional brass interjections equals The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. 

“Girls on the Square” takes a stab at heartbreak and succeeds at provoking a reminiscent, heartfelt sound before delving into an unexpected and somewhat out of place electric guitar solo.  I told you there were still a few surprises.  “You Can’t Force a Dance Party” ups the tempo slightly while using a tambourine to drive the back beat, while the following track “God Loves You, Michael Chang” opens with a catchy bass riff and horns and spouts lyrics presumably directed at former tennis great Michael Chang.  The up tempo ukulele strumming brings Dent May back into his stronger arena. 

The album then continues on the same predictable path with “At the Academic Conference” and “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" - the former being a cover of the 1957 single by The Four Preps, which also featured a ukulele.  May then strikes a dark funny chord with “I’m an Alcoholic.”  Lyrics like “I’m over, being sober,” will make you want to laugh if you’ve never had to deal with the debilitating disease or cringe if you have.

The closing track, “Love Song 2009,” offers some of the most straightforward lyrics and simple rhythms found on the album.  It makes you want to bob your head in time to the music, sing to the melody and leaves you wanting just a little more Dent May, even if you already know exactly what it would sound like.  Overall, the album plays like a perfect pairing for a day out at the beach, relaxing, fun and a little tiring.