My Lover, My Stranger is the first solo record from David Moore, formerly of Chamberlain and Split Lip. It is difficult to imagine Moore extricating himself completely from a self-imposed anonymity in order to refashion himself as some indie country troubadour, but from the sounds of this, at times, intimate album, he is attempting just such a feat. Considering the sound of later Chamberlain, an argument could be made that Moore's solo work might be a logical progression from his previous work, which should please fans of his old band who also aged and became middle of the road yuppies.
One thing is definitely for sure, it is truly frightening to hear such polished pop sounds coming from My Lover, My Stranger. In some tracks there is a pop country sound ("After Everything I've Done," "Radiate," "Home to Me") while in others the sound is pure power pop or flat out pop balladry ("When You Fall" which could probably be a monster hit if given the right exposure). One excellent aspect of the slick production (and it is so very slick) is the use of lush string arrangements in spots on the album (see "After Everything I've Done," "Breaking You Down," etc), which adds a nice touch to the overall sound quality and compliments the vocal melodies nicely. The vocals themselves are soaring examples of pop sheen with just the right amount of gruffness to give them an "edge-y" sound.
On a major label, My Lover, My Stranger could probably be monstrously huge amongst the adult-contemporary set; VH1 playing this in the early morning would probably catapult David Moore into something of an older heart throb like Rob Thomas or someone who has videos on VH1 normally. And the record would probably hit platinum status given that type of exposure. My Lover, My Stranger has a little something for everyone in that older person looking for something to listen to in order to seem "cutting edge" while still remaining completely tasteful for their age. Hell, older fans of Split Lip and Chamberlain who have drifted toward absolute mediocrity could love this and not feel embarrassed. Like Philip Seymour Hoffman says as Lester Bangs in Almost Famous, "You'll meet them all on the long road to the middle." Moore is a talent for certain, but you know what? No thanks, I am not that old and not into such middling tripe.
