Dick Prall: Weightless

Coming from a method of songwriting that brings to mind early Tom Petty (or, to a lesser extent, Spoon) Dick Prall crafts fault free melodies that make the listener very eager to find out what’s around the corner. “Halfway to Hollywood” bobs along perfectly while the lighter, folksy “If It Bends” and “Honore” resemble a mash-up of Badly Drawn Boy and Cat Stevens. Prall has an ear for hooks and a voice more than apt to accompany them. However, Prall injects a healthy dose of bombast into portions of “The Cornflake Song” with its string and orchestral flavoring. The same can be said, albeit with less than stellar results on “Boulevard” that sounds like Jack Johnson getting together with the late Michael Kamen. Thankfully Prall nails the hell out of “Side By Side” with its springy step and toe-tapping tempo that will leave some dancing in their chairs. The lone disappointment is the filler “B&W” which is rather dull and tedious.