Until now, the alternative world had yet to listen to a record distinguished by the distinctive, lively twang of the ukulele.  Dent May released his debut album on Feb. 3, entitled The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele. 

This ukulele connoisseur hails from Taylor, Mississippi and is currently on tour with A.C. Newman bringing listeners nothing but loveable, catchy tracks packed with bubbly lyrics, animated melodies, and naturally, the strum of his very own ukulele.  Undoubtedly the perfect playlist for roadtrippin’ down the coast (windows down, volume up, and all that jazz), The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele is charged with the bouncy and vivacious sounds of the playful tambourine in addition, of course, to the “magnificent” ukulele. 

Immediately, the album begins with “Meet Me in the Garden,” characterized by an eclectic fusion of cheery harmonies and percussion.  Soon the jolly instrumentals are joined by May’s crooning vocals and later accentuated by repeated “shooby do’s” and “wa-wa-was” reminiscent of the beachy Doo Wop pop of the 1950s.  These qualities remain constant throughout the record and succeed pleasantly in tracks “College Town Boy” and “Howard.”  Dent May confirms that one does not need a grass skirt, coconut bra or other tropical paraphernalia to rock the ukulele. 

May does not fail to provide a collection of lighthearted, harmonious tracks much like good old soda pop, jukebox rock of the swingin’ 1950s individualized by the sunny strum of his ukulele. -- Thea Trindle