Send "Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Allmusic |
 Dent May seems an unlikely pop star. The diminutive singer sports the largest spectacles in show biz since Larry "Bud" Melman, has the kind of baby face that rivals Truman Capote for pinchabilty, and plays the ukulele, for Pete's sake. Fortunately, once the album (The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele) begins to play any doubts about his ultra twee appearance or choice of instrument are swept away by the brilliant single "Meet Me in the Garden." The lyrics are instantly memorable, the melody is instantly hummable, and it's the kind of tune that brings a smile to your ace every time it comes on the radio. On the song (and on the album) the potential, for lack of a better term, doo-wacka-doo factor of the ukulele is kept to a bare minimum and May has a rich and subtle style of singing that gives off waves of sincerity and soul without a trace of novelty. There is a definite Southern collegiate feel to his voice and style; it's easy to picture him sitting on a porch in Mississippi, a tall and possibly fruit-based beverage close at hand, strumming his uke languidly and writing the songs. Of course, the whole collegiate image could also be seen as a negative (and calling a song "At the Academic Conference" certainly doesn't help) but May makes sure to add plenty of humor and light-hearted wit to try to defuse accusations of being too brainy. He and his pretty good and adaptable band make lots of references that should help to defuse any lingering ill will, to the Beach Boys ("Girls on the Square"), the Kinks ("Howard"), Jonathan Richman ("You Can't Force a Dance Party"), the Turtles ("Love Song 2009"), and the Prefab Sprout ("College Town Boy"). Only a couple songs fall into the overly cutesy trap he so deftly avoids elsewhere: the goofy tribute to tennis player Michael Chang and the silly and insubstantial "26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" are the main offenders. The overly serious "I'm an Alcoholic" doesn't really play to May's strengths either. For the most part, though, he has crafted a very impressive debut here. Definitely track down "Meet Me in the Garden" as it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the album, but give the rest a chance too. ...full text |
| Prefixmag |
| Young fogey Dent May isn’t exactly screaming at the gates of hell while swooning groupies pump syringes into his arm. Instead, his music is a positive invocation to grab a pipe, some slippers, and pull a blanket over your legs as you lull back and forth in your favorite rocking chair. An unlikely addition to Animal Collective’s Paw Tracks roster, May’s songs are humorous, unabashedly retro and likely to grate on repeat listens. After a mercifully brief welcoming song, May begins with the summery “Meet Me in the Garden.” His vocals are reminiscent of Edwin Collins back in the early days of Orange Juice, and “Meet Me in the Garden” gives May a chance to show off his impressive falsetto. It’s a gentle and rustily antiquated love song that thankfully lacks the forced humor of May’s subsequent efforts, such as the preceding “College Town Boy.” ...full text |
| Musicomh |
| You heard it here first: 2009 could well be the year of the ukulele. This kitsch cousin to the guitar appears to be taking off, with groups of ukulele players sprouting up across the land, all fancying themselves as bedroom George Formbys rather than Jimi Hendrixes. The success of The Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain has shown that the uke can be deployed to cover Nirvana just as easily as it can be used to wash Mr Wu's windows. However, the uke is a difficult beast to take seriously and has yet to break the confines of its own novelty island. Step forward Dent May and his modestly titled instrument. This is a collection of cute and playful songs, much like the instrument itself. Memories of gawky northern novelty ditties are ditched in favour of tropical exotica with a more than a touch of croon. This is heavily inspired by '50s and '60s jukebox pop combined with a dash of cocktail lounge chic. The vocals on this album are warm and friendly; May's style is an off-kilter cross between Morrissey and a tiki bar Brian Wilson. His range rarely varies, but it complements the vibe he is trying to create. ...full text |
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele lyrics
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