Daily Download: "Make It Right," David Mead

The six songs on David Mead's new "Wherever You Are" were originally recorded in 2002 for a planned full-length release on Mead's label at the time, RCA. After being dropped, Mead shelved the record and focused instead on "Indiana," which I wrote about last year. Now, three years down the line, we can hear some of those shelved RCA songs, and a good thing too, because they're among the best work Mead has done. The songs are sharply written, upbeat and hooky, with a pop sheen courtesy of producer Stephen Hague (New Order) and a sonic depth provided by master mixer Tchad Blake, and they're beautifully sung in Mead's strange, resonant voice that makes even the happiest melody seem a little bit wistful.