DAVID NAIL - If I Could Call - 117 Music

“Whatever She’s Got,” “Red Light,” “Night’s On Fire,” and “Let It Rain” will always naturally be the definition of who David Nail is to the casual fan. However, his keen expertise in crafting a story drenched in heartfelt emotion and honest vulnerability have always been the catalyst for his songs resonating so deeply, connecting the listener to a snapshot moment that holds them into a memory.

With “Best Of Me,” and now with “If I Could Call,” Nail walks the singer-songwriter realm into his next chapter, weaving poignantly crafted lyrics around softer instrumentation that allows him to accent the bends and wavers of authenticity in his voice.

Self-penned from a place that only David could find within, “If I Could Call” honors his close relationship with his late grandfather while placing spotlight on the comforting space between losing someone close to you and the idea of what it would be like to talk to them one more time.

Like so many of us would, he navigates the conversational lyrics with small talk, singing in the verses of how he’d talk with his grandfather about Las Vegas, ask him to retell the story of how him and grandma met, and listen to sage advice on how it’s a gift from God when you become a dad.

But it’s when you revisit the very opening lines of the song and David confesses, “If I could call, I probably wouldn’t be all that honest…at least not right away,” that he adds extreme depth to the chorus. Admitting first to his grandpa that he’s struggling with losing him - I wouldn't be here wide awake -  he then showcases a redemption quality when he shifts the words of the final chorus, bringing the gift he wants to share to light in a pure showing of family legacy:

“If I could call

I'd wipe the tears away

And say my only son

In the morning he'll be eight

If I could call

I'd tell you that the greatest thing I've ever done

Is give that boy your name

If I could call

If I could call”

Whenever a songwriter can take a heartbeat emotion that’s happening inside of them and transport it into words that reach through the speakers, they find that perfect balance between too personal and ultra-relatable. “If I Could Call” is a diary page for David Nail in many ways, but because of his willingness to share his heart and soul through song, it becomes that shoulder to lean on for anyone who has lost someone and is feeling this type of missing you weight.

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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