David Blair
Things Left Unsaid (Independent)

If Jason Mraz is ever in town looking for a buddy to gush about heartache and jangly piano-pop at JJ Bean, local singer-songwriter David Blair will be his guy. As this year’s runner-up in the pop up-tempo/dance category of the Unisong International Songwriting Contest, Blair wouldn’t be out of place at the side of California’s most famous avocado farmer—one only needs to hear the Vancouverite’s perfectly polished sophomore release, Things Left Unsaid, to be sure of that.

With his ultra-smooth voice and compelling emotion, Blair’s take on breezy 1970’s California pop-rock is sure to leave first-time listeners more than a little wowed. With remarkable confidence and poise, the musician bounces through sunny, hook-laden tunes like “Thing Called Love” and “You Make Me OK” before launching into cinematic-tinged numbers like “Hurts So Hard”. Boldly detailing his misadventures in love with poetic lyrics such as “Take a different sized opinion/Paint it shiny and bright/Photograph it in colour/And you got just what you need right” (as heard in the emotional “Right From the Start”), Blair holds nothing back on this unapologetically sentimental offering.

Download This: "Thing Called Love”