David Noah – “Moonlight and Whiskey” ft. Matt Dame – Southern porch-front swagger!
Inspired by his grandfather’s finger-style guitar playing, David Noah was absorbed by music from an early age. He went on to gain formal training in New York’s Fiorello High School of Music and Art. After graduation with Regents honors in vocal music, David completed Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs in Film and Digital Media from SUNY: Empire State College in 2014. Based in Grahamsville, NY, David Noah released his first single –the Southern rock styled “Moonlight and Whiskey” in June of 2020.
David Noah creates earthy and powerful music that speaks to the common man and proves that he is a great artist, and one who so many of us could easily fall in love with moving forward. This record has a timeless sound, its use of strumming banjos, twanging pedal steel and watery mandolin sounds, lead to a beautiful and lush soundscape that you can find yourself getting lost in for spin after spin.
The guitar solos, as electrifying as they can be, are also surprisingly tasteful, rather than blurring into the bland pentatonic masturbation and pinch harmonic flash that defines so much of modern rock music, the solos here function as natural extensions on the song and help to further establish what this track is about. It shows how much control David Noah has over his instruments and his music, and he’s not playing random notes just because they sound good together.
Simply put, “Moonlight and Whiskey” sounds more like the pinnacle of David Noah’s career, and not his debut release. It helps that he has Matt Dame featuring on lead vocals. Matt has an impacting and resonant voice which carries the Southern porch-front swagger of the melody perfectly. His cadence is as much of a hook as the chorus is. It’s a track that emphasizes powerful songwriting, sweeping chord progressions and fiery guitar motifs.
You’ll find yourself swaying side to side, once the rhythm of “Moonlight and Whiskey” kicks in. With the sounds of Noah’s guitar and Dame’s timeless vocals, you get a sense immediately for a southern rock inspiration, and as the track progresses you’ll pick up on some blues and plenty of country inspiration too.
Continuing, you’ll begin to hear the clever clichés that David Noah has loaded into the record. “Moonlight and Whiskey” is a genius track. The first time you hear it, you will be floored by how a single song could be both so simple and so complex. Noah has that plainspoken observation of everyday realities that makes for such relatable music.
The music formula he has used, is impactful, and will resonate with the listener, due to the expression of the easy-to-follow lyrics, and the intimate vibe of the organic instrumentation. Furthermore, the music, the singer, the production, as well as the excellent mixing and mastering, all complement each other in “Moonlight and Whiskey”.
And when each element works as well as this, the result is what you will find out by listening to this track. This song is a great addition to the classic Southern rock and Country catalog and will fit comfortably in your collection. Don’t be surprised if David Noah is a whole lot bigger by the time he gets around to making his next record.
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