Sometimes funny, sometimes quirky
Jeff Camp began writing songs as a teenager, but he began FINISHING them at age 41, the year his life changed forever.
The opening track, “All For You” kicks off with a self-deprecating wink. “Used to be the king of everything. Used to be my pants fit right…” The song’s humor and lyric structure reflect the influence of co-writer M. Charles Willems. Jeff had been developing the chords and melody for years, but it took a family trip to France for the song to come together.
The album features two contrasting versions of “Everything Comes Full Circle,” one with Jeff’s vocals and the other by Kimaya Chalpe, a talented young vocalist. Jeff wrote the song as a celebration of the work of Full Circle Fund, which assembles teams of talented volunteers to support non-profit organizations. The idea for the chorus came from Jeff’s mother, who once quipped that “volunteers are good for nothings.” The song converts this turn of phrase into an anthem.
“I’m On My Way To You” was inspired by a relative’s cross-California romance, connected by Interstate highway 5 from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Separation is unsettling, a feeling captured in the irregular 5/4 rhythm of the verses. But longing has its own sweetness, too, a sense conveyed in the dreamlike choruses. Many of California’s highways are lined by oleanders, beautiful but toxic. Rebecca Dharmapalan recorded the vocal parts at Jeff’s home studio. An instrumental version of the song is included as the album’s eighth track.
“May B.C.” takes the idea of separation a step further in a tale of a woman desperate not to be cast aside. “Do I have to spell it out to reach you?” she asks. “If you veer us into trouble, you could wreck us, so unwisely.” Spelling it out, in this song, happens on two levels. As implied by the title, the alphabet itself is concealed within the song’s chorus. Rebecca’s torch-style vocals are paired with the piano virtuosity of Cava Mendes.
Continuing the theme of longing, “Why Not” demands to know what’s so great about longing in the first place. “Why wait, delay and only think about it?” The genre of “carpe diem” poetry has classic roots, and the song’s opening lyrics are a nod to John Donne: “While ye may, are you gathering rosebuds?”