There’s a story of humility that Dave Vargo sometimes likes to tell. He’s finished grocery shopping and he’s paying at the cashier when a familiar song comes on the in-store radio. “Holy shit, that’s me!” he exclaims. And instead of unfettered enthusiasm, or even a polite, “Wow, that’s crazy!” he’s met with the type of aloof stare that effectively telegraphs just one thing: So. What.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing who Dave Vargo is. While he remains one of New Jersey’s finest musical exports, he’s spent the better part of his career as an expert-level sideman, shuttling between his home near the Monmouth County shore and Nashville, Tennessee. The list of people he has worked in service of is impressive, and you’d be remiss to not do some homework and check it out for yourself.
In recent years, however, Vargo has discovered and fostered his own songwriting and today, he gives us his latest single, the lilting waltz “Fault Lines.” Ruminatively descriptive lyrics set a dusty picture of loneliness and empty dreams. And at the end of the day, no answer is really given. But that’s okay, because sometimes it’s more about the question anyway; more about, as Dave puts it, “reaching across the fault lines.” Between that, the tight harmonies, the punchy guitar, and the crisp, widescreen production, Dave Vargo continues to prove that he can work his way around a song better than almost anyone.
Catch his 2ForTuesday livestream on Facebook and follow him on social media for any new performance updates.
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about the author: Brian Erickson
