David Egan

You Don't Know Your Mind

2009-03-09

2008 Rhonda Sue Records David Egan is a Lafayette, LA piano man who covers a lot of territory on the 11 tracks collected on this, his second solo release, after a career playing for the likes of Lil’ Band O’ Gold, File′ and Jo-El Sonnier. While the title track has a straight forward cadence that would fit into a military March that only serves to highlight the second line groove of You’re Lying Again, the boogie of Money’s Farm and Smile and the rollicking good times of Proud Dog. While there isn’t much here to tie the disc to its bayou roots, the influence of the area is inescapable. The funky Love, Honor and Obey has a strong percolating beat that would fit nicely on a Radiators disc while the horn grooves of Sing It and the second line feel of You’re Lying Again reminds you that New Orleans is only a couple of hours over the horizon. As a tunesmith who’s written for Percy Sledge, Johnny Adams, Etta James, Joe Cocker and, most recently, for the Marcia Ball, Tracy Nelson and Irma Thomas collaboration, Sing It, Egan knows his way around the lyric sheet as evidenced here by the 11 original tunes including, most notably the scathing indictment of an errant spouse on Love, Honor and Obey and the pep talk for the down and out on Smile. With a voice that morphs from the soulful croon of Charles Brown on Bourbon In My Cup to a light Louis Prima style duet with Jennifer Nicely on If It Is What It Is (It’s Love) and then to a Paul Thorn style stuffy croak on Best of Love Turned Blue, Egan always finds just the right tone to get his point across. Based on the strength of this release, Egan is an artist deserving plenty of attention. - Smitty