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David
Cipriani: Faith and Doubt
The Buddhists and some philosophical skeptics believe that the world is nothing more than an illusion, a matrix-like fraud that focuses our mind on the transitory and illusory, while diverting our attention from the important realities like our soul. The Buddhist views, and its philosophical variant epistemological skepticism are radical and somewhat problematic beliefs. One reason that these views are problematic is that they often lead one to solipsism. Solipsism is the belief that only one person really exists, namely me (or you as the case may be). Without knowledge that other people exist, it seems that life could devolve into a self-indulgent exercise in fulfillment and entertainment. Fortunately, not many people other than mental patients actually subscribe to this view. David Cipriani, a guitarist from Maryland, may or may not be a solipsist. He is, however, an accomplished musician with a long and varied resume. A former student of the late, great Charlie Byrd, Cipriani honed his sensibilities before becoming an artist. To steal a line from Pavement, he paid his dues before he paid the rent. His new album, Faith & Doubt, is his first foray into solo recording and is an experiment in introspection and storytelling that should win many new fans. All too often, however, a solo album can become a decidedly solipsistic affair. Without any bandmates to fight your artistic directions and without any help from other musicians that can help harness you talent and ideas, it is far too easy for a solo record to become a pointless exercise in self-indulgence. In fact, I would argue that it is not so much the danger that can create the exception, but rather the rule. Consider Roger Waters, a talented songwriter and lyricist who created solo album after solo album (with the notable exception of Amused to Death) that a-melodically mired the listener in Waterss bizarre personal mythology. Now dont get me wrong, some of the best music ever made is pulled from a deep sea of anguish, frustration, and inner searching, a perfect example being Lou Reeds Berlin (a solo album that almost became solipsistic). The point is that working alone is dangerous because the artist always tends to be an unrealistically appreciative listener. David Cipriani seems to have some of these similar concerns on his new album Faith & Doubt. Many of the songs here are concerned with the reality and apprehension of the world around him. Songs like all alone again speak to the concern that the world may be somehow far away and even the apparent nearness of other people physically may only belie their true distance in terms of understanding and connecting to them. In this song, he sings about how he walks on hot coals, just to feel the reality of his feet, and in some of the other songs he refers, again, to the focusing aspects of painphysical and emotional. Pain often centers us, brings us down to earth. A man with a toothache is not a man worried about his own death or his relationship to God and the universe; he is just a man who wonders when his tooth will stop hurting. David Cipriani does not have a toothache. He is concerned about many things, and his music often shows not only his anguish and pain, but also a sense of aloofness. The only critique that I can make about this excellent album, aside from its occasionally poor production, is that sometimes it seems as if Cipriani has only an academic concern for the characters in his songs. Sometimes he is not as involved, as any good writer should be, in all the pain and joy that his characters may have. His occasional aloofness may come from a Buddhistic fear of actually dealing in a world full of pain, or it may be a fear of really bearing himself to his listeners. In any case, even with his aloofness often distancing the listener from some of the songs, they are still very powerful visions set to beautiful and expertly played music. Cipriani seems to have avoided the cardinal sin of solo artist solipsism and, hopefully, he will make more albums like this one.
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