David Newton - A Gateway To A Lifetime Of Disappointment
DAVID NEWTON AND THEE MIGHTY ANGELS – ‘A GATEWAY TO A LIFETIME OF DISAPPOINTMENT’
Remember The Mighty Lemons Drops, the English alt-rock/new wave outfit from the mid-80s to 1992? Well, David Newton was a member of The Mighty Lemons Drops.
David Newton
After the band dissolved, Newton played with The Blue Aeroplanes briefly, followed by moving to L.A., where he converted the garage of his house in Burbank into a recording studio, followed by producing and engineering a multitude of albums.
During the next decade, Newton spent time performing live, playing with friends’ bands. Then in 2011, he dropped a solo EP, Paint The Town, under the name David Newton and Thee Might Angels. Media reviewers loved the EP, which collected lots of airplay and television licensing. He followed by returning to producing and recording other artists, as well as sporadic live-performances.
Today, August 14, marks the release of Newton’s album, entitled A Gateway To A Lifetime Of Disappointment, a collection of 10-tracks narrating the ups and downs of life.
The album kicks off with “in love and war,” which features retro flavors of new wave on a driving rhythm. Luminous, upbeat vocals fill the song with optimistic pop energy vaguely reminiscent of The Go-Go’s.
I love the glistening, coruscating flow of “avoid it.”
Talking about the track, Newton told Earbuddy, “I’m not normally a hippy/spiritual type, more of a punk rocker haha, but I had a dream a few years ago that I bought the new single by Pet Shop Boys, one of my long-time favorite bands btw, and it was called ‘In Love And War.’
Entry points include “the songs that changed our lives,” featuring Eddie Argos. The song blends shimmering new wave surfaces with jangly pop coloration as if The Byrds decided to cover The Cure. I love the glistening, coruscating flow of “avoid it.”
Initially, “My First Band” conjures up memories of Tom Petty, but then takes on delicious textures of bright pop hues, jangle guitar layers, and whopping vocal harmonies. Merging tints of punk with surging pop momentum, “bittersweet” tip-toes around a pop-punk feel, but the emphasis is definitely on the pop portion.
The final track, “everything is just so,” delivers more potent rock relish, yet still remains true to Newton’s love affair with ‘80s post-punk. This might be the best track on the album simply because of its muscular jangly get-up-and-go and propelling rhythm.
A Gateway To A Lifetime Of Disappointment is superb, chock-full of happy-go-lucky pop colors and David Newton’s tasty Brit-flavored voice.
Follow David Newton and Thee Might Angels Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | Bandcamp
