EP Review: David Browning — Now You See Me
Now You See Me is a three-song EP from South Africa-born electronic pop artist David Browning. Currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, he has a background working on Disney Cruise Line. He’s a family physician as well, but still finds time for a creatively fertile venture into music.
“Stay Over” opens the EP with a nice balance of electronic and organic textures. A hypnotic, simple chord progression played on electric piano engages in a brief dialogue with finger snapped rhythm. Browning’s soothing lead vocal is note-perfect and – this is important – it doesn’t suffer from over processing of the Autotune variety. As the the track unfolds, it traffics in more conventional and familiar dance-pop textures, but the strong melody makes sure that “Stay Over” rises above conventional offering in the style. The arrangement chills down toward its end, giving dancer a chance to catch their breath.
“Call Me When You’re Single” adheres more closely to standard electro-pop fare, and the dreaded Autotune does rear its overused head here. The message of the song’s title has pretty well been mined clean, but the melody is catchy enough that the song still succeeds for what it is.
“Always Inside” begins with a solo piano tapping out an insistent, minor-chord figure. Browning displays his stylistic range here by delivering a melancholy weeper, albeit one with such a lush arrangement that it’s difficult not to get swept up in its emotion.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.