David Stagl
Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round

Katherine Raz, ChicagoGigs.com
10/2003

What’s nice at first glance about this record is that, well, it’s nice at first glance. Most bands these days have their cousin’s friend burn a few thousand copies of a CD, slap a sticker on it, stick it in a cardboard envelope and send it off for review. Not David Stagl. Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round comes in a jewel case, with a printed disc (not a sticker) and a shiny three-page fold out insert complete with lyrics to all 11 songs.

What’s also nice about this record is that David Stagl spends as much time crafting his alternative pop tunes – and refining them – as he does with their packaging. It sounds like Stagl’s been performing these songs for years. He’s a committed artist, a singer/songwriter who understands that success doesn’t come from a lucky break, but with talent, practice and commitment. In that way, Stagl isn’t much different from the bands he’s most often compared to: Dave Matthews, U2, Counting Crows. The sincere vocals, with the kind of lyrics audiences love because they’ve been there, too, are backed up by a lush soundscape – electric and acoustic guitar, harmonica, violins, and fantastic drumming by Mike Gerbitz.

David Stagl is a veteran of the local music circuit. He’s played with local favorites like Hello Dave and Beatnik Turtle at local haunts like Hog Head McDunna’s and Lakeview Links. His music is familiar, but not boring. Cinematic, but not overpowering. With his talent and a strong local following, it’s no doubt you’ll be hearing more from David Stagl.

Mark Lush, Midwestbands.com
4/15/04

It’s fun, sometimes, to play ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ here at MWB! In a lot of ways, it shows the level of inter-connectedness that exists between bands/artists in the world of Independent music, and it shows that people really do network, and recommend resourceful sites when they come across them!

Just for fun, let’s consider the case of David Stagl! MWB, in 2002, signed on to do promotions at a conference in Lexington, KY. Because we were involved there, we learned about a band from Chicago called The Locals that were playing the conference. The Locals listed with MWB, and we were able to meet their violinist, David Goldman. David Goldman also played bass in a band called The Burning Daylight, which featured an artist named… you guessed it...David Stagl!

Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round is David Stagl’s debut album as a solo artist; though there is a small credit given to The Burning Daylight in the liner notes, he has since dropped the band’s name from his billings. In live situations, the band joins him as often as possible, but David is also able to do solo performances when necessary. The songs lend themselves to this flexibility very well, because they are well written, and have enough strength in themselves to stand without full instrumentation! As a singer/guitarist/songwriter, this has to be very liberating, because it gives you more opportunities to perform and promote!

In David’s bio, he speaks about the motivation behind a lot of the songs featured on this album. His focus is on connecting with listeners, and not on presenting an artistic image. The songs are written to encourage, and to remind listeners that everybody makes mistakes, and only as we ‘Fall off the Merry-Go-Round’ of repeating the same mistakes over and over again do we find real solutions for our lives!

I was impressed with the rootsy sound of the music found on Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round. It is a very guitar-driven album, with influences from artists like John Mellencamp and Tom Petty, or bands like Tonic and The Wallflowers. David likens himself to Bruce Springsteen and U2 in his songwriting styles, but I have to disagree. I don’t really see that comparison, but it may be because I think of their songs (Springsteen and U2) as being very politically oriented and socially conscious. I think I would almost compare David’s songwriting style to that of Rob Thomas. His material, like Rob’s, is written on a more personal level, and deals with how the individual relates to the world around him. For good examples, listen to songs like ‘Mary’ and ‘Quicksand’. His cadence in the lyrics and vocal styling are even similar. For my tastes, I enjoy this sort of songwriting better, because it’s easy for me to feel like I can relate it to real-life situations I’ve experienced. His songs are not activist in nature; they are encouraging, inspiring, and motivational.

From a musical standpoint, I like the way that David takes several different musical elements, and layers them to create a full sound. As I said above, this is a guitar-driven album; instead of filling the musical void with keyboards, or some other instrumentation, he uses a variety of guitar parts to make a lush, full sound. Three great examples of the way he is able to orchestrate several different parts are the songs ‘Mary’, ‘Overrated’ and ‘Kinda Awkward’. Give these songs a listen, and see if you agree!

The tracks that I mentioned above are my very favorite songs on the album. Other favorites include the first track, ‘Better In the Morning’, ‘Only One Home’, and ‘Down’. The last song has a very cool vibe that is different from any of the other songs. The opening bass line is really interesting and funky, and is the main driving force in the song. It was kind of nice to hear Goldman cut loose a little bit and have some fun, because he plays it pretty straight on the rest of the record.

There aren’t any songs on Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round that I don’t like on some level. The tracks I mentioned are the ones that I gravitate toward, but I don’t wrinkle my nose at any of them! It is a very interesting project from a talented songwriter!

I wholeheartedly recommend that you get a copy of Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round! It is a standard by which a lot of Indie artists can measure themselves, because it involves three elements that are important in any recording. First, it is instrumentally sound, with interesting arrangements and a really full sound. Second, the lyrics are well-written and meaningful. Third, the entire project is packaged incredibly well, including great artwork, liner notes, and a theme that carries not only through the album art and song lyrics, but also to his press kit and web site! He is a great marketer of his own material, and I feel like many artists would do well to note the things that he has been able to do well, and apply them to their projects!

That said, I don’t want you to think that listening to Falling Off the Merry-Go-Round has to be a solely educational experience! Put it on, turn it up, and have fun! You’ll not only learn something, you’ll also have a great time!