DANIEL NELSON - review added 9th July 2009
Album Review: Daniel Nelson (Self Titled) EP (2007)
For fans of: West Coast Rock... and brilliant ballads
Daniel Nelson's style is heavily influenced by American West Coast Music from the '70s and '80s by bands like Toto and The Doobie Bros.
He says on his MySpace page, "I miss really competent musicians writing great songs & fantastic arrangements with live horn sections and strings. I heard great West Coast music like Steely Dan’s Aja and Ambrosia’s Life Beyond LA, and I knew I was going to end up in Los Angeles writing and performing this genre of music.”
He may not be that well known on the global stage, but perhaps he should be. The music on this self titled EP is, to say the least, rather special. It's lightweight inoffensive stuff but in places there's a kick like a giraffe lurking beneath the bushes. The Toto influences are clear, as are hints of Michael McDonald, Richard Marx, Christopher Cross and Kenny Loggin's softer side.
Daniel's voice is amazing. He has a smooth tone, sublime control and can harden up his vocals with a real hit of power when needed. This guy is up there with soft rock's greatest vocalists... and that's before we even get to the writing of the songs themselves.
'Madelynn' is a poppy rock song with jazz flourishes and a soaring vocal performance. The backing harmonies overlaid by Daniel's voice sound wonderful - unoriginal maybe - but simply great. The whole song has an air of professionalism and talent that belies this man's unsigned status. 'Is It You?' is even more poppy and very 80's. He's right that they don't make music like this anymore. If you didn't like it when they did you won't like it now. Fortunately I've got a soft spot for a juicy slab of 80's soft rock and could happily eat this with some creamy pepper sauce and fried mushrooms.
'Camarillo' is a beautiful ballad with a strong Christopher Cross sound. It's one of those tracks you sink into and want to hear again and again. Camarillo is a small city near Los Angeles... I've never been there but I kind of want to pay it a visit now. 'Here In L.A.' moves down the road a few miles. It's another of the upbeat tracks and boasts the best of the rocking choruses on the album.
The man certainly saves the best until last. 'Emily' is the finest ballad I have heard for years and is categorically stunning. The vocals, the writing, the production and composition are all floating around in the stratosphere. It's not an upbeat track but, for music this wonderful, I'll happily feel sad for 5 minutes.
This album won't be for everyone. The production is up to modern standards but the style is a good twenty years out of date. However, and it's a however the size of an apartment block, it doesn't matter. The music on this eponymous EP, especially the 3rd and 5th tracks, is breathtaking and deserves to catapult this man to superstardom.
Check out... 'Emily', of course.
Track List:
01. Madelynn
02. Is It You?
03. Camarillo
04. Here In L.A.
05. Emily
Label: Avenue Of Allies Music
Artist's website(s): MySpace
