David Wax Museum will Showcase Line of Light at Creative Alliance in Baltimore

I have had the pleasure of following David Wax Museum since I saw them perform at Newport Folk Festival 2010, which was a spot they won in a contest. At this point, David Wax Museum had already released two albums and they performed most of these songs at their live performances. Their musical style is a blend of traditional Mexican folk music with Americana and features authentic guitars from South America, accordions, and violins. They gained more popularity in 2015 when they released their album, Guesthouse.

*David Wax Museum performing at Club 603*

This past summer, David Wax Museum released a new album, Line of Light, which I had the pleasure of hearing a bit of a preview when they performed at Club 603 for a house show earlier this year. (That show review can be read here). I recently sat down and listened to this album a few times and have to say that this may be one of David Wax Museum’s best.

David Wax Museum performing “Equal in the Darkness” at Club 603

Line of Light opens with Suz Slezak’s airy vocals that repeat throughout the song, “Uncover the Gold”. Her voice naturally harmonizes with David Wax’s vocals. It is a strong opening song to the album and lyrically sets the stage for the album’s theme: the power of light. “Equal in the Darkness” follows with a strong rhythm and a continued theme of light. This song is reminiscent of the band’s previously styled “toe tapping” songs. This one is a personal favorite for me.

The middle of the album relaxes nicely with a series of songs that have a peaceful Sunday morning feel to them. “How Do You Know if You’re Dreaming” brings Wilco to mind, and it transitions nicely into “Big Sur”. Slezak usually sings backing vocals and harmony; however, on “Wake Up and Dream”, her vocals are showcased. This song has a tender motherly tone that marks the end of the first half of the album.

The second part of the album kicks off with “Touch of Gold”, a blues-like song featuring a piano and trumpet. Continuing with the faster tempo, “Human Chain” bursts with harmony from the initial note. This is the first song that doesn’t feature an element of “light”; however, it reminds us of the importance of connections with each other. “Janaree”, “Little Hearts”, and “Night Gods” round out this album just as it began – with a calm and quiet trio of songs. The final song on the album, “Night Gods” reveals a bit of a personal reflection about life on the road. Written in ¾ time, the song mournfully waltzes to the closing of the album.

I thoroughly enjoy this album. The theme of “light” is threaded among the songs, giving the album a very cohesive feeling. This is the perfect album to listen to when you need to reflect and relax. David Wax Museum shares intimate lyrics to beautifully harmonic melodies in their latest release, Line of Light.

Line of Light is available on all streaming platforms and can be purchased through their website here. Be sure to get out the Creative Alliance in Baltimore this Wednesday, October 23rd to hear these songs performed live! Tickets can be purchased here!