David Duchovny Hell or Highwater

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Review: David Duchovny acts, but can he sing? He does, come 'Hell or Highwater' (Grade: C)



I waded into "Hell or Highwater," the record released last week by actor David Duchovny, with great trepidation. Being a big fan of TV show "The X-Files" (returning in 2016!), I hold a certain sort of reverence for Duchovny.


I've been hesitant to download his book, "Holy Cow," published earlier this year, for fear that it will disappoint. I cringed a little when I learned that Duchovny had released a rock record. Mulder at the mic?

But I grade and review records, so I had a job to do.

While "Hell or Highwater" isn't necessarily a good record, thankfully, it's not bad. Yes, it's a vanity project. But at many points it doesn't sound like one.

What kind of music does Duchovny play? Basically, country rock. Think present-day Cracker or Tom Petty.

What does Duchovny's voice sound like? Kind of droll, like Mulder. Kind of flat, like many singers who aren't professionals. Kind of Dylan-esque – Jakob Dylan (The Wallflowers), that is. Kind of like David Lowery (of Cracker).

The collection of 12 songs aren't written particularly well. Penned by Duchovny, the lyrics are mostly cliched, occassionally painfully awkward. "But in the test of our love/In the test of my love/In the test of our love, Darlin'/If it's multiple choice I gotta mark/None of the above, Duchovny sings in the title track.

There's also nothing remarkable about the songs' structures. But there are a few pretty choruses, especially in the pretty ballad "The Things." And two rockers, "Unsaid, Undone" and "Another Year" stand out.

At 54 minutes, "Hell or Highwater" is definitely longer than it needs to be. Like later episodes of "The X-Files," an editor was needed.

But for an actor, Duchovny acquits himself as a musician quite well.

Saukvalley.com

Credit: cyvette86

By JEFF ROGERS jrogers@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 5591
I waded into "Hell or Highwater," the record released last week by actor David Duchovny, with great trepidation. Being a big fan of his TV show, "The X-Files" (returning in 2016!), I hold Holy Cow," published earlier this year, for fear that it will disappoint. I cringed a little when I learned that Duchovny had released a rock record. Mulder at the mic?

But I grade and review records, so I had a job to do.

While "Hell or Highwater" isn't necessarily a good record, thankfully, it's not bad. Yes, it's a vanity project. But at many points it doesn't sound like one.

What kind of music does Duchovny play? Basically, country rock. Think present-day Cracker or Tom Petty.

What does Duchovny's voice sound like? Kind of droll, like Mulder. Kind of flat, like many singers who aren't professionals. Kind of Dylan-esque – Jakob Dylan (The Wallflowers), that is. Kind of like David Lowery (of Cracker).

The collection of 12 songs aren't written particularly well. Penned by Duchovny, the lyrics are mostly cliched, occasionally painfully awkward. "But in the test of our love/In the test of my love/In the test of our love, Darlin'/If it's multiple choice I gotta mark/None of the above, Duchovny sings in the title track.

There's also nothing remarkable about the songs' structures. But there are a few pretty choruses, especially in the pretty ballad "The Things." And two rockers, "Unsaid, Undone" and "Another Year" stand out.

At 54 minutes, "Hell or Highwater" is definitely longer than it needs to be. Like later episodes of "The X-Files," an editor was needed.

But for an actor, Duchovny acquits himself as a musician quite well.

http://www.saukvalley.com/2015/05/20/review-david-duchovny-acts-but-can-he-sing-he-does-come-hell-or-highwater-grade-c/aj9tbzb/

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Album Review: Hell or Highwater // David Duchovny



When actors decide to foray into the music world, a majority of the time they’re never really welcomed with open arms. They are usually met with disdain that they may be using their fame to get a head start, or just using the album as vanity project. This isn’t the case at all with David Duchovny, who even said when the first day of recording came around, he ended up lying on the floor of the studio wondering why he decided to actually do this, and thinking that it wasn’t a great idea.

Why Duchovny decided to do this was more of a personal project than anything else. He stated recently in an interview that, “As parents, we’re always telling our kids that worthwhile things are hard work, and you have to fail and fail and fail and eventually it gets fun. But, they only see us doing. They don’t see us learning, they see us doing our stuff already. So I wanted to find something that I really sucked at – which wasn’t hard at all – and I also wanted them to play instruments. So I thought if I take up guitar, maybe they’ll watch me struggle, they’ll watch me get frustrated, they’ll watch me persevere and maybe they’ll take it up too.”

That notion transcends Hell or Highwater throughout. Duchovny didn’t go full out with the album; he produced something that you can feel he’s comfortable with and that he’s worked hard on, to set an example to his kids that they can do anything they set out to do. It’s extremely low-key which I don’t think a lot of people were expecting. Duchovny doesn’t necessarily want to make a career out of this. It’s more like a time capsule than anything else – 12 songs of who he was as a person at the time of recording, seeing as he was going through a divorce, culminating in some spare time to learn to play guitar. After learning the basic chords on guitar, he figured out that a majority of his favourite music – Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, R.E.M. etc. – all used the same basic chord structure, and that was where Hell or Highwater came into fruition.



You can hear these influences throughout the record, on the whole it’s very Dylan-esque with a hint of Lou Reed at times – both musicians that Duchovny had compared himself to when trying to describe what sort of vibe the album had before it was released. At times there’s a hint of Wilco, R.E.M and even Oasis – especially on the track ‘3000’. The record is an amalgamation of different genres of rock blended together, whether it’s the folksy ‘Another Year’ or slow ballads in the form of ‘The Things’ and ‘Hell or Highwater’. It can even be pretty hard rock at times, especially with the track ‘Unsaid, Undone’ – which is probably my favourite off the record. Duchovny manages to splice together a nice collection of rock genres that flow seamlessly together as an album.

His poetry pays off throughout the album, another thing that spurred him on to do this in the first place. He had the basic chords and he knew how to write poetry, two things that allow you easy access to create a song. This is extremely prevalent in ‘Positively Madison Avenue’, where he showcases observations of commercialism with Bob Dylan and the famed Superbowl commercials, and even with his own career with The X-Files and how he’s more grateful for it now than he was back when he was filming it: “I really shouldn’t be throwing stones / ’cause chasing spooks on Fox is how I made my bones”. Duchovny is also very personal with the lyrics, especially regarding his love life, which seems to be the root of this record. But it’s not self-depreciating in the slightest. He writes in a way that is probably an emotional release for him, but the result is songs that everyone can relate to – which I think he was trying to achieve with this record.

I’m pleasantly surprised with how this album turned out. Not that I didn’t think he wouldn’t be good, this was just so out of the blue that it’s really nice to see how well Duchovny has done with this record. Bearing in mind he’s only been playing guitar for five years and how completely new to him this all is. He’s definitely achieved what he strived to do in the first place – showing his kids and the rest of the world that it’s never too late to learn something you’re passionate about, in this case, music.


David Duchovny and actress Gillian Anderson fist-bump during his performance at The Cutting Room, in support of the release of his debut album “Hell Or Highwater”, on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Plus we got a concert involving a duet from Gillian Anderson out of this, so this record is a godsend.

The Indiependent-blog.com

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Music reviews: Nick Cave/Warren Ellis, Snoop Dogg, David Duchovny

PUBLISHED : Saturday, 30 May, 2015, 10:53pm
UPDATED : Saturday, 30 May, 2015, 10:53pm

Mark Peters





Following hot on the heels of his bestselling debut novel, Holy Cow, US actor David Duchovny joins the list of film and television stars who become musicians with the release of his first album, Hell or Highwater.

But unlike, say, Bruce Willis, Russell Crowe and the A-Team's Mr T, Duchovny, who will soon be reprising his role as FBI Agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files, has written a far-from-embarrassing 12 tracks of melodic Americana. It's an accomplished achievement for the Golden Globe winner and "lifelong rock'n'roll fan" who, inspired by his children, learnt to play the guitar only a few years ago.

Backed by Brooklyn-based indie band Weather, who flesh out the actor's romantic poetry and rudimentary folk-rock strumming, Duchovny's husky vocals and hook-driven melodies flit humbly somewhere between Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. While it's obvious Duchovny has yet to find his true musical identity, his rootsy heartbreak rock comes from a place of sincerity and it's all credit to him that he manages to hold his head high above the water.

David Duchovny Hell or Highwater (ThinkSay Records)


South China Morning Post

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Me gusta Hell or Highwater.

David Duchovny – Hell Or Highwater | Album Review
by: Izzy Ahrbeck June 8, 2015



It’s always a difficult task for popular actors to transition from starring in front of the camera to sitting in the recording studio. This proven namely by Kevin Bacon’s The Bacon Brothers and Bruce Willis’s Bruce Willis Blues Band, two career flops we will never come to understand. For 54-year old David Duchovny’s (The X-Files, Californication), Hell Or Highwater, although lacking inspiration, is by no means a total embarrassment.
Hell Or Highwater combines heartland charm with progressive rock. Essentially, it’s subdued Americana road-trip music that blunderingly mirrors some of Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker’s country aesthetic and Leonard Cohen’s tattered vocals. Duchovny never proclaimed himself a musician and his guitar experience only dates back to about 5 years. So, it is to be expected that the record stumbles along with some major hiccups.

Duchovny’s debut album kicks off with ‘Let It Rain,’ a swaying and pleasant tune that gives the album a sense of hope. The track opens with simple chords and enters a wider soundscape with simple drumbeats and subtle guitar twangs. The initial charm abruptly wanes when we hit ‘3000,’ arguably the worst song on the album. Begging to be catchy, Duchovny chants “3000” more times than Busted’s pop-hit, The Year 3000. Who knew that was even possible?

After a confusing detour, we get back on course with ‘Stars’ and the title track. ‘Hell or Highwater’ attempts to be the hit track but turns out to be nothing more than a stiff ballad with boring and perpetual rhythms.

The album rolls steadily along with songs like ‘The Rain Song,’ ‘Lately It’s December,’ and ‘Passenger’ without much excitement. The music is not unbearable, but Duchovny heavily relies on simple chord progressions and unembellished arrangements to fuel his album.
The final track, ‘Positively Madison Avenue,’ is a lament about modern culture while name-dropping Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Almost 7 minutes in length, it has its strong musical moments with heavier guitar and faster drumming, but the obvious Dylan-wannabe vocals and lyrics are too hard to ignore. In a desperate attempt to cram too many syllables into one phrase, Duchovny blurts out awkward and near cringeworthy lyrics, “I’m sure your morals are beyond reproach, but it’s not like I’m asking you to fly coach.” And perhaps the robotic lyricism could be ignored, but Duchovny’s voice lacks both charisma and dynamic range making it a monotonous mess.

David Duchovny has a colourful acting career, yet he isn’t quite there as a musician. His heart is in the right place as he makes a valiant effort to immerse himself in the rock scene. Although Hell Or Highwater cries amateur, there is something endearing about Duchovny’s greenness to music and it will be interesting to see how he grows as an artist.

Hitthefloor.com

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Lilith wrote:So guys, what do you all think about DD's album? I fucking love it!

I have it playing now while i'm on the net:) I really love his album. Some of the songs put tears in my eyes

MUSIC REVIEWS


David Duchovny

Hell or Highwater

ThinkSay Music

Yes, it’s that David Duchovny. The actor has released a somber album of folk-rock that feels lyrically honest and occasionally even confessional. With a Dylanesque quality, Duchovny knows how to make his vocal range work for him to put his best notes forward. If he was nervous about this endeavor, it doesn’t show—the entirety of the album presents a confident maturity usually only found in songwriters with huge stacks of compositions under their belts.

- Nikki Hedrick

Beachcomberdestin.com

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Cada vez que escuto o álbum do Double D mais me apaixono 😍🎶🎵🎸🎤
💿#HellorHighwater will be released in Brazil?? @Braddny @davidduchovny

— Suellen Souza (@anewdaysue) 15 junho 2015

Soon. A release date is being announced in the next week or two. https://t.co/Teay0J7Yp9

— Brad Davidson (@Braddny) 16 junho 2015

Great! Thanks