Man of His Words

Singer-songwriter David Wilcox is a firm believer in the message of the old Jackie DeShannon hit “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” What it doesn’t need, Wilcox suggests, is more songs that don’t somehow make the world a better place.

“Unless they’re passionate and meaningful, do we really need any more songs in the world?” asked Wilcox, 40, by phone recently from a Seattle stop on a tour that brings him to the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana tonight. “When deciding which songs to put on my new album, I looked for the ones that will do people the most good.

“I’ve found that my attitude is apparently rare,” he added. “I’ve talked to many musicians who . . . doubt if their songs have anything positive to offer society.”

Wilcox’s new album, “Underneath,” backs up his theory with songs that address facets of the human condition. With his comforting, James Taylor-like voice, Wilcox not only sings about love, family and community, but also probes scenarios with volatile emotion.

Feelings of intense desire and love in “All My Life” turn to self-doubt in the troubled “Leaving You,” as Wilcox wearily sings: “The love that I dreamed is not what it seemed / I guess that it never was.”

Wilcox also mixes the personal with the sociopolitical. Another song emerged after he and his 6-year-old son visited a neighborhood museum.

“Nathan . . . stopped to look at this huge globe,” recalled the North Carolina-based Wilcox, who, along with his family, is temporarily living in Columbia, Md., while his wife, Nance, finishes chiropractic school there.

“He said, ‘Look, Papa, all of the people in Australia must be hanging upside down.’ That’s what inspired the song ‘Down Here,’ which is about being judged by other people’s values . . . like when your ‘up’ is really a completely different direction than theirs.”

“A lot of these songs materialized during times when I had a real clear perspective, where some sanity actually paid a visit and stayed for a while,” he said. “I like how music can capture those vivid emotional snapshots . . . where your ideas and feelings are very focused.”

Guest musicians who helped Wilcox on “Underground” include saxophonist Kirk Whalum, slide guitarist Sonny Landreth, bluegrass ace Alison Krauss, keyboardist Reese Winans, vocalist Jennifer Kimball and bassist Victor Wooten.

Wilcox said he wanted the songs to unfold spontaneously, so the available talent might lead to new, better approaches.

“ ‘Sex and Music’ was gonna be just a monologue with some piano backing,” Wilcox explained. “But I bumped into Victor the night before we starting recording, and it occurred to me how much better it would be with his slinky grooves on it. So he stepped in and, man, just transformed the thing into this rhythmic, rap-like number.”

Wilcox began his recording career in 1987 with the independent release “The Nightshift Watchman.” (Previously available on LP and cassette, the album was recently reissued on CD by Koch Records.)

Wilcox signed with A&M; Records, where he recorded three critically praised albums: 1989’s “How Did You Find Me Here,” 1991’s “Home Again” and 1994’s “Big Horizon.” Lukewarm sales prompted A&M; to drop Wilcox soon after “Big Horizon” was released. The following year, Wilcox released a live album, “East Asheville Hardware.” Instead of live versions of his best-known numbers, he recorded 20 previously unreleased songs that fans had been clamoring for. It was put out by Koch, which also released his 1997 “Turning Point” album.

Now with Vanguard Records--the home of Pete Seeger and Paul Kelly, among other folkies--Wilcox realizes that his intimate, confessional style won’t appeal to everyone.

“It used to matter to me that I reach a lot of people, but I’m content to touch fewer people now--but, hopefully, on a deeper level,” Wilcox said. “My songs may be too personal or challenging for some--especially nowadays, when so much music is sterile and generated by machines. It’s weird how it’s become daring to hear something that comes from a human being and speaks directly to your heart.”

“Music will always be sacred to me,” Wilcox said. “It might sound corny, but over the years I’ve built up a great trust with my fans . . . and that’s something I would never want to betray.”

It’s not that Wilcox never enjoys a light moment. “East Asheville Hardware” features some silly tunes, including “Roadside Art,” “Barbie” and the nutty “Mango,” which Wilcox describes as “an anti-song to cleanse the palate between the real songs.”

It’s just that even his sense of humor has its serious side.

“I think humor is necessary in order to get to that final destination, to grasp the inherent message behind my music,” Wilcox said. “Making a real person-to-person connection is what I’m after, and shared laughter tends to bridge any existing gaps.”

* David Wilcox plays tonight at the Galaxy Concert Theatre, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana. 8 p.m. $17.50-$19.50. (949) 496-8930. Also Wednesday at the Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros, Solana Beach. 8 p.m. $17-$25. (619) 481-8140; and Thursday at the Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. 8:30 p.m. $17.50. (310) 276-1158.