The breathy vocals are a sharp contrast to the hard-driving music. And the tug-o-war between the two elements create a tension that's hard to ignore. The production is so over-original that it technically breaks new sonic ground. It's rare to find such a revelation in original music. Not only are the lyrics deep, but the music, the production, and the vocals all blend in some multi-layered smorgasbord to create a type of complex maze...decipherable only if one allows the subconscious to take control. Hard to believe that humans could operate at such an atmospheric realm.

Clement, formerly a solo acoustic vocalist, now joins up with a full band. His music is soft but certainly not weak, and it has an almost R.E.M. quality - thoughtful, harmonic, with full chords and well-polished vocals. His songs have been featured on TV shows such as Dawson's Creek, and on this record, he is resurrecting and rerecording several songs which were lost in legal limbo when Universal purchased Mercury/Polygram. Good for him - and us

A chance meeting with Liz Phair, who praised Clement's songwriting, inspired him to take the plunge and play his music somewhere other than his own home. He now has three CDs to his credit, his latest one a solid assemblage of inventive lyrics and melodic alt-rock guitars that falls somewhere between Sonic Youth, Eels, R.E.M. and Wilco. A nifty vintage organ weaves its way into “Geriatriphilia,” a clever salute to old age, and “Ahhh,” a slyly written, arty power-pop tune. These songs are leftovers from a failed Mercury Records deal. Their loss is our gift.

Clement's music-biz odyssey has been hashed and re-hashed by umpteen other reviewers, so I'll skip that little tale and simply recommend this fine and fresh recording. Top-notch sidemen, among them avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Lounge LIzards) and jazz-blues drummer Richard Dworkin (Alex Chilton, James Chance), superbly interpret David's eclectic, quirky tunes, which run the gamut from rootsy rave-ups to art-rock ruminations. The contrast between Clement's creamy croon and his often edgy music is surprisingly effective. Dunno if Your Free Gift is really free, but it's worth a listen regardless.

David Clement has had one hell of a journey in music. Discovered by Liz Phair when she promoting her "Exile in Guyville" album, she encouraged him to sing and play out. He went to a open mic in NYC,got signed to Mercury Records and recorded album. While he waited for it to get released, he formed a killer band and continued playing out.

Mercury was bought by Univeral and David was dropped w/out his album being released. Clement moved on,writing and recording more music which appeared on "Dawson's Creek", "Popular" and "Gilmore Girls". David got back his ill-fated record back and this fine effort was worth the wait.

YOUR FREE GIFT is a great pop album, full of great hooks ala The 6ths and They Might Be Giants. This album just rocks and is a ode to keeping your dreams alive.

My favorite track was "da boy" but every song is a keeper