Local Listen – David Burchfield Takes Us “State to State”

This is an entry in an ongoing series for 303 Magazine, which will provide a range of local album reviews. It is our intention to highlight the talents of local musicians, whether veterans to the industry or newcomers. Like the bands, the album can be fresh or something we just haven’t had the power to take off repeat in the past few months. Check out previous entries in the series here.

David Burchfield has created a soundtrack to a journey. A journey the musician took both spiritually and physically, illustrated in his latest release, State to State. The 11-track album showcases Burchfield’s decades of dedication to crafting his sound and loyalty to himself, while also highlighting growth, friends and experience.

State to State pops into our ears with the eponymous track, a song that tells a sweet tale of the effort to hang on to life experience despite time and the ways things change inside of it. “State to State” is perhaps the most relatable story from the album, as we all carry memories beyond where we can see. Then true adventure comes full circle in “O Big City,” where Burchfield describes his dream of moving to Colorado first manifesting, before retracting back to an old, strange life that was no longer his. Luckily for us, Burchfield found his way back to colorful Colorado. However, “By The Coast” softly imagines a life away from here, drinking in the rain and living barefoot against a different background.

Each track sketches the plight of an artist taking in the surroundings of an escapade as pertains to the adjustment of a new life. When Burchfield relocated to Utah, he experienced some frustrating aspects initially but becomes soothed by a true home in a person. In “Dishes in the Sink,” Burchfield cites the lyrics, “when I dropped the truck off / at the rental place / I had to walk home / ’cause I didn’t know anyone” as verifiable reality to his first days in the new town.

State to State is a departure from Burchfield’s earlier work after a rededication to his craft came following some powerful life experiences. “Way it Goes” shows an evolution a young mind considers from the observance of the world, while “You’re OK, You’re Alright” comes from a direct confrontation. Burchfield wrote the song to himself after surviving a near-death collision on his scooter, and the track is regarded as the songwriter’s call back into creating music. 

State to State closes out with “Let’s Get Started,” a tune which promotes the feeling of ushering in a new age of hope and possibility, rounding out State to State perfectly. Burchfield takes the listener on a musical road trip, pulling along folk and Americana roots until we return home again. State to State is his latest gift to his fans, but it will not be the last. The singer has stated his favorite way to perform is unplugged, without lights, just him a few feet from his fans. Let’s hope that scene can come together soon.