David Dondero - Simple Love

David Dondero is often considered an unsung hero of modern singer/songwriters; he's mastered the art of the minstrel, traveling far and wide and sending his songs off with a delivery that's as rootsy as it is literary, but for some reason he's only made big splashes in select circles. Simple Love is a worthy successor to 2005's masterful South of the South, but finds Dondero straying more from his folky/country leanings in favor of straight-forward alt-pop. "Rothko Chapel"could have been penned by Ben Folds and sung by a more mature Conor Oberst, but the title track weaves back into Dondero's strength—weary, honest Americana relying on harmonies, slide guitar and narrative that flashes its images through your head in black-and-white instead of color. [www.daviddondero.net]