For much of his life, Wesley David was always trying to live up to someone else\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n
In his youth, it meant being the obedient son. A dutiful Jehovah\u2019s Witness. The benevolent missionary. But, disillusioned by 21, the musician was ostracized from his community and thrust into the world with little direction and an extensive amount of unresolved feelings and psychological trauma to unpack. What he knew for certain was that he wanted to live for himself and explore the world, guitar in tow.<\/p>\n
Fifteen years later, with a near-decade of experience as a nationally touring musician, the Long Beach artist has dropped his debut solo album, \u201cNever Late than Better,\u201d the title’s play on words emphasizing that it\u2019s better to achieve later than never at all\u2014a sentiment he identifies with strongly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe album is about my whole life,\u201d the 36-year-old singer\/songwriter said. \u201cYou can\u2019t change the past, so it\u2019s about [focusing] on whatever it is in your life that you feel good about, that makes you joyful. And if you\u2019re able to do it, it\u2019s better late than never to go ahead and do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 11-track album is a collection of David’s experiences and realizations about himself, often bordering on the existential. His narrative styled, tongue-in-cheek lyricism tells stories of heartache, psychological trauma, learning to think for one\u2019s self, transformation and acceptance, with the occasional nod to the mundane absurdities of living in the digital age.<\/p>\n
But the heavier, introspective content of his music doesn\u2019t feel weighed down. His silvery, wistful voice, confessional themes and musical arrangements with whiffs of musical theater\u2014think Death Cab meets “Rent”\u2014are bulwarked with the hopeful tones of acoustic guitar, keys and tambourine.<\/p>\n