OK, let’s get this out of the way right up front: I am not going to draw comparisons between A.D. Chandler and Tom Waits.

I generally try to avoid the “sounds like” descriptions anyway, but this particular cliché is one I refuse to make. Ever. I’m not buying it, and I’m tired of hearing it. Sure, A.D. has an indisputable grit in his voice and a bluesy edge to his persona. His lyrics are clever, and he seems to be most in his element singing songs with titles like Thank God for Whiskey in a place like First Capital Dispensing Co, a dark bar with an uneven floor, the air eternally thick with smoke (also one of the very best places in York for live music).

All that is Waits-esque. I get it. But to constantly compare him to Waits is unfair; while I’m certain it’s safe to assume Waits is one of A.D.’s influences, the constant comparison toes the line of casting him as someone doing his best Waits impression, and I’ve never felt that to be the case. A.D.’s got his own thing going on, and he’s someone whose live shows I seek out because of his distinct style…and because you just never know what fun combination of people are going to be playing with him on any given night.

Now that I’ve spent all that time NOT comparing him to Tom Waits, let’s get down to it. A.D. has developed a devoted following in the region. He had a decent, 5-song EP under his belt and some great regular gigs at places like First Cap, Victor’s and Moon Dancer Winery. To record his 2008 full-length CD,  Some Days are Better than None, he headed to L.A. to work with producer and York County native Al Sgro (trivia: A.D. and Al were childhood bandmates).

A.D. is supported by some insanely talented musicians on Some Days, including Sgro, as well as Pete Richards (who plays with American Bitch, Free Breakfast, and pretty much every other cool band and/or musician in York) on saxophone and mandolin. There’s even some blues harp and lap steel in there, and vocals by the lovely Holly Conlan. The whole thing is great for bringing A.D.’s country-inspired, blues-infused songs into your car or your living room or your headphones, without all the smoke and whiskey (if, for some reason, you are disinclined to include them in your A.D. Chandler experience).

The CD has given fans the chance to bring their favorite sing-along songs, like I Got Rid of Her (a song about murdering his ol’ lady: “…half of me feels bad, but the other half feels glad / I got rid of her…”), I Think I and Just for My Baby, home with them. Your Sweet Way, previously released on the EP, loses its tinny home-recording kind of vibe, but none of its dusty backyard soul.

Perhaps the best showcase of all the talent on this album is the track The Old Glory. There’s a lot going on this song – the fiddle and vocal harmonies are particularly enjoyable in this head-nodding ballad – but it’s not the least bit cluttered. It’s a great example of well-constructed and well-executed Americana.

True, there are moments where one has to wonder whether the rasp in his voice might be just a little bit forced, but it’s easy to forgive him this possible indulgence when you realize you’ve just finished listening to the entire CD without skipping one single song. He makes melancholy seem fun: “If I go to sleep, and wake up dead / take what I got and put it all on red…”

Bonus points for cool album art.

~JSS