Having spent time with son-of-a-James-Taylor- Ben Taylor and his mum, Carly Simon, the singer / songwritery outcome of David Saw’s album ‘Broken Down Figure’ shouldn’t come as a surprise. Armed with an acoustic guitar and with help from a band who, at times play so subtly that you wouldn’t even notice they’re on the album; Saw brings stories of sadness to humanity, because, as he explained:
‘While things are easy and fun, you almost forget where you have left your guitar, even though as it turns out it’s really still in your hands.’
The first impression is that Saw’s music is a bit like the music you always hear in female friendly comedy dramas like Gilmore Girls, Desperate Housewives and House. There’s the acoustic guitar, the sugary but soulful voice, the finger picking guitar intros and the endlessly repeating simple statements (I love you; someone’s gonna love you; I don’t want to be a broken down figure). The songs are catchy enough to rise above the average singer/ songwriter simplicity, but not catchy enough for calling it pop and truth to be told, the results could have been worse.
Opener ‘Don’t Call’ is a simple statement about love and ex-love. Though many people would like to see their ex-honey bunny back into their lives, most of them also know it’s not going to work anymore. And like many, Saw’s hoping for something different, but instead asks her not to call at all.
Runner-up ‘Simple Song’ could be either his next step or his previous, as the song is - again - a simple statement of love, while in ‘Broken Down Figure’ he moans about how he doesn’t want to be moaning anymore!
The goose is on the loose on ‘Buy my Record’, a song you could either interpret as the official song for Record Shop Day or as the most obvious commercial song ever made. It is in fact just a ‘making fun at idiots’ song. The song borrows its rhythm and melody from the early acoustic rock ‘n roll era and sees the singer stepping out of his own musical style and image and promises a surprisingly diverse album from someone who admitted to write his songs during less uplifting moods, which is definitely not the case here.
The songs after ‘Buy my Record’ don’t live up to the expectations and suddenly it becomes clear David Saw’s music really is the kind you hope to find on a compilation album of female friendly (and secretly followed by loads of guys) TV-series. That way you only have to listen to one or two songs, preventing boredom ruining your day. However sensitive, based on true stories and subtle played, ‘Savannah’s World’, ‘All at Sea’, ‘Some Love’ and ‘We Don’t’ are songs that could be qualified as a typical ‘end-of-the-album-song’; the acoustic, easy going, summarizing and melancholy no artist can live without these days. Everyone is getting away with one of these types of songs, and it is usually at the end. This album has four in a row and they are right in the middle of the album, which is a bit too much.
‘Someone’s Gonna Love You’ revives the album’s early direction of catchiness, however, the damage is already done and the mission completed; the sadness has found its way to the listener, but not in a way Saw would have wanted.
For people looking for singer / songwriters who like to state their point of view about love, relationships and life in general, David Saw’s ‘Broken Down Figure’ is, considering a couple of songs and his voice, not the worst way ever to get rid of your money. For people who’ve seen and heard it all before, you’d better not bother.
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![Broken Melody - Face The World [Album]](http://hangout.altsounds.com/file.png)
Broken Melody - Face The World [Album]
| Reviews 
David Saw – Broken Down Figure (Album)
