9 out of 10 stars! "..a striking new voice...raise a glass to Available Light... sound[s] like something wonderful recorded in about 1971, bringing to mind "Heart Of Gold."

"After hearing David Corley's debut album Available Light, one could say the Lafayette native arrived out of nowhere at age 53, akin to hitting a homer in his first at-bat. But the album is a product of a 30-year cross-country odyssey of self-exploration, one of those rare moments where a lifetime of experience comes to bear in a single album you have to hear. It is that experience which shines through, particularly in his gritty, road-worn voice, which he uses to bring the movie of his life into vivid technicolor"

"It's kind of like a Super 8 movie," Corley says of the title track. "You can hear the projector running, or you can hear the crackle of the vinyl on your record player. It's the movie of your life, how time passes. It's about dealing with life as it comes."

 "I have two rules about writing a song: one is you better have something to say, and the other is you better have something to say."

"At one point later this year, if the stars align and enough people listen to David Corley’s debut album Available Light like they should, someone somewhere will refer to the Lafayette, Indiana native as an overnight success...Available Light isn’t an album that grows on you. It hits you immediately and then just gets better from there. And it all starts with a voice that makes you wonder how it has avoided us for all these years." 

"It is not possible to classify these songs in any neat or orderly way...This ability to switch easily from folk to rock, and everywhere in between, shows that David is not a one-trick pony. Somewhere in the middle of this spectrum is “Dog Tales,” which is the standout track from Available Light. The intro and the music are beautiful, but it is his vocal delivery that sells this song. His emotional howls are a marvelous contrast with the sexy sighs of Fenner and McDermott. Though Available Light might not sound like the blues as you have come to expect it, David Corley certainly captures the spirit of the genre, and there is no denying that this is a mature album that is very well crafted. If you are willing to step outside the land of more conventional blues and venture into the realm of roots and Americana, this disc will be a great addition to your collection."

David Corley si prende, finalmente, tutta l' "available light", tutta la luce disponibile, tutta quella che la sua vita, difficile, complicata, gli ha lasciato, per esordire alla bella età di 53 anni. Se esordire a vent'anni, per esempio, si porta dietro tutta l'esuberanza di quella età, tutta l'energia e, spesso, l'inesperienza, esordire così tardi, con un disco così lungamente pensato, non può che portare a un lavoro maturo, intenso, da ascoltare con attenzione. La prima cosa che salta all'orecchio è la produzione, miracolosamente equilibrata, di Christopher Brown, che riempie, nel vero senso della parola, il disco di suoni, riuscendo a far suonare tutti gli strumenti in maniera esemplare e regalando a Corley un tappeto sonoro perfetto e a lui non resta che cantare e presentare le sue canzoni, che ne escono sicuramente arricchite. La voce vissuta di David, fa il resto. Il suo modo di cantare può ricordare, nella fluvialità dei testi, (riprodotti molto male nel booklet, peccato), il talkin' di Van Morrison, a tratti quello di Lou Reed, e in altre occasioni il growling di Tom Waits o la cavernosità di Cohen. Sicuramente, Corley, ha una voce importante, su questo non ci sono dubbi. Qualche dubbio in più, invece, mi arriva sulla qualità delle canzoni, prese nude e crude. Al netto degli arrangiamenti, che danno loro davvero una o due marce in più, non mi pare che "Available Light" contenga delle canzoni memorabili, anche se contestualizzate nell'ora di musica, alla fine fanno il loro lavoro. Il disco è comunque importante, ci presenta un autore nuovo, nonostante l'età, che se assistito da un po' di fortuna, (recentemente è stato colpito da un infarto mentre suonava in un festival olandese), potrà regalare, in futuro, altre buone cose. "Available Light" necessita di più ascolti, abbisogna che la musica entri in circolo e potrebbe diventare essenziale. In un mondo musicale sempre più spesso "usa e getta", David Corley è uno prezioso. Dategli una possibilità.

"Available Light" 2015 David Corley can be gruff, really gruff, a little bit of late Dylan and early Tom Waits, but not exactly - I hear Long John Baldry, the 60s blues-rocker. With his narrative asides, his extemporaneous howls and heartfelt grit, Corley is a talker/shouter, and he fronts a rugged 70's-style (not a diss) band with real belief and authority. You can tell when a singer absolutely believes in his/her own songs. That's Corley. Take a two-word trope and build it into a hook and an extended personal rumination, that's title track "Available Light" and the notable "Dog Tales" in a nutshell. When I say extended, I mean it. Four songs are longer than six minutes. Other tracks that take you to the heart of his world include "Easy Mistake" and "Neptune/Line You're Leaving From." And Corley financed this late-bloomer debut (at 53) with an impressive Kickstarter campaign that should give indie auteurs everywhere a little bit of hope.

"a warm, engrossing collection of retro country-soul...There are nods to Van Morrison, the Stones, Dylan and Lou Reed, but Corley carries the album with his honesty and flair." 

Like Joseph Lemay, Corley’s album is part artistic statement part lifeline. Light is the soundtrack of a dark, starry night in an empty smoke-filled bar. It’s a cocktail of 100 proof Americana, country, blues and folk; a stunning storytelling triumph along the lines of Tom Waits and Lou Reed’s ‘Dirty Boulevard’. Album kickoff ‘Available Light’ is delicate and tender; ‘The Joke’ adds some ramshackle boogie and swagger when you least expect it. The singer and the songs aren’t in a rush to go anywhere, but if you care to belly up to the bar and bend an ear, you’ll hear some stories and be a bit better for it. Buy it.

"brilliant debut album.... Corley’s deep, breathy vocals flow with emotion and soul, exposing beauty within that scruffy exterior."

"Corley is blessed with a voice which can penetrate deep into your soul.... one of the most beautiful Americana albums of the moment..."

"Disco che al pari di quelli di James McMurtry, e le analogie non finiscono qui, fa della monotonia una virtù. Ballate dolenti, malinconiche, tra folk, rock e country, cantate con una voce che centrifuga una appassita dolcezza con un rauco sapore di alcol&cigarettes evocando le tonalità di Tom Waits, di Greg Brown, dello stesso McMurtry, del Lou Reed del Dirty Boulevard."

"beautiful debut album...an excellent storyteller"

"Before saying it’s far too late to shoot for your dreams, you ought to listen to Americana artist David Corley’s debut album, “Available Light.” This collection of ten tracks by Corley, produced by Hugh Christopher Brown, is a dynamic introduction to this 53-year-old Indianan singer/songwriter.... Corley’s raw phrasing is a bulldog that won’t let go, creating a blues rock experience that’s felt in the bones."

"Disco che al pari di quelli di James McMurtry, e le analogie non finiscono qui, fa della monotonia una virtù. Ballate dolenti, malinconiche, tra folk, rock e country, cantate con una voce che centrifuga una appassita dolcezza con un rauco sapore di alcol&cigarettes evocando le tonalità di Tom Waits, di Greg Brown, dello stesso McMurtry, del Lou Reed del Dirty Boulevard."

"De stem van Corley doet nog het meest denken aan een mix van Tony Joe White en Tom Waits. Hij is een uitstekende verteller, die de kunst verstaat om verhaaltjes in een prachtige muzikale omlijsting te stoppen."

"a stone cold cracker, an instant classic...Married to the cool crisp funk of the title song or the hazy shimmering guitars of the seven and a half minute closer the words flow as easily as the music creating an atmosphere that is nothing less than magical. Definitely an early contender for an album of the year."

 "Y una voz que permite a David Corley pasear por pasajes que hubieran hecho las delicias de Leonard Cohen, del Tom Waits crepuscular, de cuanta voz que tuviera en la gravedad la arruga del Captain Beefheart y las brasas del bluesmen."

"Like Dylan and Waits before him, David Corley is a lyric poet inhabiting the grizzled, remarkably expressive voice of a blue-collar Everyman….While Corley has been involved with music in some form for most of his life, this album is, at age 53, his debut as a recording artist. It was worth every year of waiting, every life experience and hard-won insight that led him here to this moment. With a voice like a gravel quarry and the heart of a lion, David Corley constructs a universe of broken souls searching for moments of redemption. Available Light is a remarkable achievement, an album aglow with a ragged beauty that’s simply magnificent to behold."

PopMatters Premieres David Corley's first official video, "Easy Mistake".

“Corley sounds like the kind of guy who’s been in the studio for decades, a consummate natural. Comparisons to songwriting greats like Tom Waits and Lou Reed aren’t far off. Tunes like Available Light’ “Easy Mistake”, the video of which you can watch exclusively below, evoke the image of a weary songwriter looking back on all of his years in the world. His presence is a natural and authentic one, as any one of his songs evinces.”

"Corley's music combines elements from pop, folk, rock, and Americana. But his approach somehow seems fresh and focused, probably because he hasn't been trudging away at a music career for the past three decades. This guy's got a really cool deep voice that almost sounds a bit like Leonard Cohen if he was doing Americana."

Original text and translation here.

"Corley creates a smoking hypothermic kind of somber roots rock sound, reminiscent of Chip Taylor and/or Tony Joe White..."  Pieter Wijnstekers, Heaven Magazine, The Netherlands

"Mooi, overtuigend debuut van een man die al het nodige heeft moeten verstouwen. Muziek die aangrijpt, doorleefd en gevoelig. Intense muziek, teksten die aankomen. Kortom – David Corley is een echte aanwinst in het singer-songwriter circuit. "

“This is big boy music, serious and striking from the excellent album Available Light. It’s an unhurried gem of a record, slow and meaningful, plaintiff, beautifully performed. Real music, not manufactured or pulled off a production line shelf.”

5 ***** out of 5! "..an exceptional album... wonderfully atmospheric...Corley is your man!"

"The swampy roots sounds on this debut makes me think of the music of Robbie Robertson, but the swamp blues of Tony Joe White is also a meaningful comparison....  emotionally charged...the magic comes from the raw and pensive unique vocals of David Corley.." 

"..peerless songwriting, great arrangements and playing, a variety of tempos all driven by David’s hugely atmospheric, raw but melodic vocals. Anyone who has a liking for roots music needs a copy of this great album in their collection. Methinks another contender for album of the year, perhaps even an early favorite!" 

"La voce roca dell'autore somiglia a un incrocio tra il baritono melodrammatico di Leonard Cohen e la viscerale impressione rock di Ian McNabb (ma si potrebbero citare anche Tom Waits, Greg Brown, William Topley, persino Captain Beefheart), e si dimostra il miglior veicolo possibile per le ballate ruvide del disco, basato su un campionario di rhytm'n'blues proletari e straccioni come un tempo andava di moda comporre tra i fiumi di liquore dell'Irlanda e le fabbriche automobilistiche della Motor City (ovvero Detroit)." 

"David Corley's debut album "Available Light" immediately lands you on a musical map, with songs that go straight to the heart and a warm, soulful bluesy sound that only great artists in the genre's own.. "

“a beautiful brilliant record”

"Het denderende Available Light, prijsnummer Easy Mistake, Lean en Unspoken Thing, op het eerste gehoor relaxte songs maar alle drie gezongen met gebalde vuisten in jaszak, maken duidelijk dat Corley vooral ‘his own man’ is."

"David Corley brings forth a voice that is reminiscent of a younger Tom Waits; rough, earthy and filled with subtones."

"Corley opened his hour-long set with "Beyond the Fences," a track on the album. Anti-fashionista by appearance, he nonetheless looked every bit the rock star with his shaggy hair, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans nicely tailored to his lanky form. Patti Smith, take note." DJ

“absolutely cracking album…absolutely super..had me entranced all week”

“The collaboration [with producer Hugh Christopher Brown] has resulted in one of those discs in which a generous modicum of graceful slop is prevalent, a halo spark of rough and tumble divinity well tarnished from travelling byways but so well cohered that one marvels at it.”

"gritty...deep....What is so impressive about Available Light, it combines age, musical creativity and soul."

"If there’s an album that’s a bigger surprise this year than David Corley’s “Available Light,” I haven’t heard it. At the ripe old age of 53, Corley has released a debut disc of ragged, atmospheric blues-rock that he most likely didn’t have in him when he was a younger man. We reap the benefits of Corley’s experience, and of the desperation apparent in his worn-through vocals....But there’s an underlying sense of hopeful resignation that comes through his weary croak and easygoing Americana piano and guitar, not to mention lyrics that have at times an almost Leonard Cohen-esque zen to them."

"a terrific collection of bluesy rock tunes that showcase the Indiana native’s estimable skills as a songwriter and his pleasingly raspy singing voice...a remarkably accomplished song cycle...Here’s hoping Corley doesn’t make us wait too long for the next album."

“Produced by Hugh Christopher Brown Corley sings about rural Indiana, staring at the night sky and making ends meet. His hoarse baritone voice fits the rootsy blues music like a glove.” 

“Available Light” – David Corley. If Alexi Murdoch, Tom Waits, and Joseph Arthur all got together and jammed, it might sound something like this gruff yet accessible, vaguely alt-country track.”

“David Corley has a rough baritone voice, one that makes you think of heartbreak, cigarettes and the low purr of a mountain lion.”

“Hearing Lafayette, Indiana David Corley’s debut album Available Light surprised my ears with this great indie-blues rock singer-songwriter who plays guitar, piano and bass on this album. Corley is a well-seasoned lyricist inspired by vivid dreams and classic literature of Joyce, Whitman, Blake and Rilke…His vocals remind me of Nick Cave and Lou Reed. Like a mood ring, each of these songs turns the stone a deeper color….We all need to lean into David Corley’s Available Light.”

“David Corley has a voice that resembles the dark vocals of Tony Joe White…Whether it be the rippling Available Light or Easy Mistake, Unspoken Thing or Lean (with beautiful piano playing): David keeps it modest and beautiful.”

“David Corley waited for just the right moment to unleash his talents to the world. The new ten-song album begins with the bluesy-folk/rock of the title song “Available Light” as Corley’s voice is warm and humble. His vocal delivery has a rough Warren Zevon quality …and he [will] keep you captivated with his music and lyrics.”