1. I've Woken Up - Right off the bat this song to me screams Paul McCartney/Billy Joel. It's feel good storytelling at it's finest, the groove is straight forward and catchy. Kind of a swing type of movement throughout the track. It really does feel as if it's an older piece of material as even the guitar solo is a bit muffled as to not overpower the overall design.

2. The Man I Once Knew - Here's another example of Dave's vocal abilities, the piano intro builds into another soft soothing track. The lyrics are extremely easy to follow, I could see this song on a TV Show simply because of the content mentioned throughout the song. What I really enjoyed was that the piano wasn't hidden in the background as the song moved forward.

3. Home - I am trying not to make too many comparisons to other artists but to me this song has that James Taylor feel. I say that because this song has a lot of main vocals mixed with a backing vocal which really gives that soft feeling. The lyrics layout a story and I was captivated by the perfectly placed wording, nothing was out of place. One of my favorite tracks on album.

4. Just Enough - This song is mixed with a techno-ish drum line, yet softly muffled behind the piano and Dave's vocals. One thing is common on all the songs to this point, the lyrics. All the lyrics are well written and really allow the listener to follow along. The use of orchestral instruments was an awesome touch and something I wasn't expecting.

5. Stories For Copper - The title track, what would Dave have in store this time around? Like previous material it's very soft. The drums were a bit different this time around as the they sounded as if they had  been brushed during the song to help muffle the sound. I really enjoyed the woman background vocals mixed with the guitar effects, great touch!

6. Memories To Me - Completely different then anything else on the album to this point. Not a soft track by any means, this song has more soul and a pop feel to it. The track starts out with a blaze of guitar effects and quickly turns to a "Jump N' Jive" type of song. Very original material here as Dave once again holds his own.

8. One Little Thing - From the start of this track till the end this song screams single. Some songs just have the vibe of "If this was released by itself it would be perfect for radio." That's how I felt about this track, it's the 2nd best song on the album because it's flawless. There's nothing out of place here, the backing guitars to the vocals everything matches very well. Not to mention the heart of the lyrics "All That I Ask For." That area of the song changes more and more as the track moves forward. Weather it's mixed with the guitars or given a little kick by the drums it's brilliant, which is exactly why I could see this being a single.

9. Let Me Be - A bit more of a rock song, though the effects sort of drown out the rest of the song. I didn't think that Dave's vocals needed anything added to them but this song has effects all over it. I did enjoy the ending of the track but most of the song lacked as I just couldn't get over the effects, more of a buzz buzz sound throughout. Still I'm sure this is one of those double edged tracks some will love it, some won't. Give it a listen, don't skip by.

12. When She Was Mine - Rounding out this album is another song that actually shocked me. Dare I say it, My Favorite Track On The Album! I said before that "One Little Thing" should be a single. Well this song is another one of those type of tracks, it's a bit of a mellow rock track. All the elements are here, from the punchy guitars to the extremely catchy lyrics you'll be singing along after just 1 listen. I swear this is one of those long lost Queen tracks, while it doesn't contain the 15 minute Jimmy Page solo it does have some great guitar work and is the perfect track to round out this album.

This is why I love doing this website, I wouldn't have known about Dave's material had I not been contacted by him. As soon as I received the album I went through it 1 time just to take a sampling. I was shocked at the similarities as far as vocals go. Now for me I'm not into The Beatles material but when it comes to Paul McCartney's solo stuff I'm all ears. This is the case with Dave's material as well. His writing style rivals that of big named musicians while still being able to hold his own and showcase a unique blend of raw emotion.

I will admit that there were a few spots that I found it to drag a bit just because the sounds sounded a bit the same. Now I based my final rating as a straight run though as I always do. But if your like me and want to go back and listen to certain songs at a different time then you'll be very happy with this material. I found myself going back and re-listening to certain pieces just to put them through my stress test of "Is this a nice song to listen to 1 time and then later it's no good?". The songs didn't dull out at that point as they were still just as fresh as the first time through.

If your looking for something with a soft, classic vibe with that feel of musicians such as Joel/John/Taylor/McCartney then your going to like this material. If you find that soft material isn't your thing, then it's best to pass on this disc but you'll be missing out on some fun material.

Final Rating For "Dave Stephens - Stories For Copper":

    0.75 Points = Transitions / Order
    0.90 Points = Fun Factor
    0.90 Points = Instruments / Vocal Sound
    1 Point = Writing / Lyrics
    0.85 Points = Overall Design / Feel

    Overall Total: 4.4/5

For more on Dave Stephens visit the following websites:

www.davestephens.ca & www.myspace.com/davestephensmusic

Purchasing Information:

www.davestephens.ca / www.notlame.com / iTunes - Downloadable