What a difference a dose of faith inspired by a newly minted sober lifestyle can make on the overall influence of a record. Plain and simple--Phil Campbell's Daddy's Table is hearbreakingly beautiful. Campbell's vocals sore over lush acoustic guitars as he delivers each line with a haunting theurapeutic relevance. As a listener you feel each line's reverted pain, his despairing hope through loneliness, and the longing to have the ability to truly feel again. The record's first single and opening track 'Wrecking Ball Nights' immediately delves into the issue of the severity of Campbell's past addiction as he sings, "i got just enough to get me through the evening, this is wondrous stuff it really kills the feeling, i got empty plastic bags with crumbled mixtures, i dug dirty trenches with my little fingers." Campbell describes his addiction through the metaphor of a wrecking ball swinging above his head implying that it will only be time before it discontinues; allowing him the opportunity to either continue on the disastrous road he's comfortably been stumbling upon, or the option of stopping his erratic behaviour all together.
There is proof that he has made a decision as the cheerful strum of the guitar initiates a new kind of hope on 'For Boozers & Losers' as he delivers the line, "long live each one of us, churning in our seas, beauty gets locked inside but i will be free." It becomes clear as the record progresses that Campbell's road to freedom run's parallel to his own journey to sobriety, mixed with the added shift of Campbell's new role as a father. He sings a profound lullaby to his son on 'My Wee Soul' telling him to not be afraid of the dark, "you get sleeping and I'll take on the sharks." This track exudes a pure kind of love that is completely stripped of complexities. It is this type of love that can only be truly expressed by someone who has gone to hell and back. Fans will take notice of the grace that has been restored and discovered again through the eyes of his son while listening to this track. As Campbell divulges his endearing devotion to his son, it becomes clear that he is no longer devoid of the feelings he once couldn't bear to endure.
The highest compliment to be paid to Campbell is the comparison to artists like Ray LaMontagne and fellow Scottish folk singer Paolo Nutini in both their deliverance of the harmonica as well as the impeccable hushed vocals that they all deliver with such care. The most apparent resemblance can be alluded to American singer/songwriter Joshua James in Campbell's track "Gone" for they share the same shaking tenor about living in purgatory while vying to listen to God's advice. At the record's conclusion it's as if Campbell has gone full circle as he retreats back to his Scottish roots on "A Wild River Runs" making it clear that Campbell's own personal move away from London and back to his home in Scotland has proved to be one of the integral themes that has shaped not only the entrance to his new life, but has also influenced him deeply as a musician.
This record's relevance comes across as much more than a mere singer/songwriter strumming an acoustic guitar while simultaneously delivering lyrics made up of nothing but heartache and personal woe. The difference lies in the relativity of Daddy's Table, and the fact that the record's core runs much deeper than the reoccurring themes that are often discussed by similar artists. Phil Campbell has transformed his anguish into something tangible enough to not just casually listen to, but a record that truly forces one to feel.
For more from Phil check out www.philcampbellmusic.com
