Everything That Has a Beginning by David DeMordaunt

The gratuitously talented gentleman pushes himself in two directions at once; for half of Everything That Has a Beginning, he aims for grandiosity, while the album's other half is devoted to subversion...

Opener "Enchanted Heat" begins with muted percussion and fleeting acoustic licks, which are soon underscored by DeMordaunt's electric guitar as it sails gently along beside them. Midway through, the song drops back to its humble beginnings as the acoustic again takes center stage, this time adopting a darker tone. The electric, now quieter, rejoins, and then takes off, twirling maniacally through the sonic space. The bassist -- also DeMordaunt, surprise surprise -- provides some excellent runs, while drummer Mac Leckrone works up some backbeat bombast to offset the trio of guitars...

-- Review of Everything That Has a Beginning from Bluedark.com:

Despite reservations when seeing songs named "When I Loved a Vampire" and "Bone Knife," I was pleasantly surprised to discover Everything That Has a Beginning by San Francisco area singer/songwriter David DeMordaunt. He is an accomplished guitarist. What's more, he has a firm grasp on his songwriting, which is nearly as accomplished. Each song has plenty of twists and turns. They take a serene wandering approach.

DeMordaunt focuses largely on elaborate acoustic guitar melodies, while managing to plug in an electric now and again for good effect. He can crank up the energy level at will. Many of the bigger riffs are just flash and razzle-dazzle. But thankfully Everything That Has a Beginning never resorts to wanky guitar noodling. Still, this album could stand to take a few more risks. The edges are all smooth and polished-almost too much so. Dark theatrics don't always further the album. While delicate on "Chapter 13 Apollo's Lyre", those theatrics can be stagy and bulky elsewhere. They obscure. They cushion the impact. Yet, there is a certain vulnerability at the bottom of it all. That is what keeps the entire album going.

This remains a capable effort. It seems that David DeMordaunt may be headed for a wider audience...

ALSO TRY:

Jeff Buckley/Gary Lucas - Songs to No One 1991-1992

King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King

Tool - Aenima

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

-- Review of Everything That Has a Beginning from Rocknworld.com:

When I first put on Everything That Has a Beginning, the first artist that came to my mind was John Zorn. The first track, "Enchanted Heat" may not be quite as 'out there' as John Zorn's music, but it has the same sort of dark jazzy mood.

On Everything That Has a Beginning, Demordaunt blends elements like avant jazz, international and Goth. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I don't mean the dressed up in all black with white face makeup and black lipstick sort of Goth. Perhaps the best example I can give of the Goth element of this album is in the song "When I Loved a Vampire." I think this song would be great for a movie based on an Anne Rice novel.

Demordaunt has four guest vocalists on this album. The one that I like the best is Noe Venable on "Snow White Silk." Noe Venable's voice is a real treat on this song that sounds like a fairy tale written by either Stephen King or Tim Burton.

This is a rich CD with sweeping songs that seem almost like short plays. Demordaunt's music stimulates visuals unlike any other CD I can think of. It is a very well done CD and I enjoyed it. There is no denying his talent as a songwriter and a musician. That being said, I'm not sure I could listen to it very frequently because it's such a mellow, almost somber album. But I guess that's to Demordaunt's credit. He has made a challenging album that may take some getting used to, and frankly, that's not all bad.

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