“Remember” – David Altenor

“Remember”
David Altenor (2011)
http://www.davidisoffkey.com/

By Bob Marovich for The Black Gospel Blog.

“This track has a new sound/But if you think it’s about the club, slow down.”

Over a thumping beat and a techno soundscape, 23 year-old singer-songwriter-producer David Altenor implores listeners to give props to the Almighty when He blesses you and not “act like it was [done] on your own.” He also takes aim at folks who “blow their cash” on designer items and go broke in the process. Altenor’s rebuke is not mean-spirited; he hopes they will change their lives for the better, the real better, and give thanks to Him who made their salvation possible.

Altenor’s own story, which he shares on the excellent and poignant “It Was You,” is quite the reverse. It involves not the amassing of riches but the tragic loss of his father to cancer in 1996 and his 26 year-old brother Lou to cancer in 2008.  Then his mother suffered a stroke in 2010. The combination of these circumstances could have destroyed Altenor.  Instead, they cemented his faith and commitment to religious music.

Another strong release, Altenor’s introspective, piano-driven “Just Like Me,” expresses his frustration with today’s many social problems. The song is an “is anybody there?” cry from the depths of loneliness, hoping for sympathetic ears to respond back.

Ministering in a style similar to Aaron Sledge and J Moss, the Boston-based David Altenor is a talent to follow.