'Only I Can Save You’ is San Franciscan musician and producer Todd Stadtman’s latest release and combines all of his classic song-writing skills in one compact and melodious gem of an album.
Stadtman’s signature crystal clear vocal and honest lyric are presented in the first three tracks ‘Back To Yourself’, (“Girl I wish you saw how I adore you, How I’d love to make the sun shine for you”) ‘Something Less Than Tenderness’, culminating in the full-bodied chorus of ‘Jezebel Jones’.
It’s immediately clear that he has natural talent for writing unashamedly good guitar based songs, which he repeatedly serves up throughout. It’s all American stuff conjuring up images of idyllic spring break college road trips, boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, but friendship overcomes all and everyone lives happily ever after. But crucially it’s presented in an ever so slightly quirky manner, that isn’t immediately obvious, but keeps well off the road to Dawson’s Creek.
Combining tried, tested and well executed pop sensibilities with snatches of electronica Stadtman isn’t afraid to experiment or compromise and ‘Only I Can Save You’ is undoubtedly his and his alone. ‘String Of Pearls’ with it’s hardcore beats, lowered vocals and slightly deviant shroud; and ‘I’m Good’ complete with big and bassy synth’s and pitch altered singing are perfect examples of the other end of Stadtman’s creative vision and help to paint his musical canvas with a new brush.
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‘I’m Good’ at first play sounds akin to a novelty track, the result of some studio high jinx and tomfoolery, but listen carefully and you’ll hear an emotional ode to what once was and what could have been. And there’s yet more to come. ‘Talking Through The Mouth’ is a fast paced drum, upbeat bass, beach bum guitar, summer-time trumpet, and Hollowayesque stunner and is almost impossible not to like immediately.
The diversity in ‘Only I Can Save You’ is impressive to say the least. But perhaps his tour de force and the culmination of everything already on ‘Only I Can Save You’, is the piano ballad ‘The Life She Dreams’. Lyrically stunning, musically minimal, emotionally charged and reminiscent “I didn’t care that the sun that shone on me then, when reflected in her eyes, was twice as bright, and everything is dimmer now than it had been” which seals an already watertight album.
‘Only I Can Save You’ is Stadtman’s finest piece of work to date. Expertly crafted, elegantly bespoke and very real, this is a stunning collection of songs that mark Stadtman as a singer songwriter to be reckoned with.
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