Following the variegated path of Andy Waldeck.s music career, it's clear he knows something of change. Progressing from bass and vocals in rock-and-funk outfit Egypt, formed with pal and local guitar star Joe Lawlor, Waldeck made the switch to guitar and fronting his own band, Earth to Andy, following Egypt's demise. Embracing a new style of boisterous, hook-driven rock helped score the group a major label gig at Warner Bros.. Giant imprint, though as is so often the case, the band languished, waiting for a big break that never came.

    Back in Charlottesville and reflecting on what to do next, Waldeck found himself increasingly turning to the acoustic guitar and in the process making the transition to the more introspective duties of singer-songwriter. Slowly, he began to play live with his new material, often alone but sometimes accompanied by Lawlor. Showing a more vulnerable, unvarnished side, Waldeck.s music turned softly melodic and thoughtful as he made a break with his more boisterous past.

    Displaying some of the fruits of this latest incarnation, Waldeck's Offering is about as intimate and personal as it gets. Opener "Angel" is bittersweet, setting lyrics of longing and breathy, lilting vocals against a warm, cleanly picked melody riff. Much of the disc goes in this way, though by no means does that mean it's all the same. But Waldeck is clearly confident in his new direction.

    In the unending search for hits and highlights, Offering has a couple offerings of note. Catchy and touching, in a slow-dancing-at-a-formal-event way, "Love Has Spoken" is probably the biggest standout on the album, because the collaboration between Waldeck and Humble Sacrifice's Tevis Marshall on piano, works in a big way. "Happiness" and "Victory March", though, are no slouches. Waldeck plays the consummate singer-songwriter here, offering airy, sometimes near-falsetto, vocals, layered over delicate, often intricate ditties, proving that change can be good

- Matthew Hirst

    Andy Waldeck.s CD release party for Offering takes place on Saturday, May 22 at Gravity Lounge, beginning at 8:30p.m. See page XX for details.