Daniel Romano has stated that he is the “King Of Mosey”, which until last year’s If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ seemed to be his own particular brand of country/folk music coupled with gloomy, syrupy ballads. But on Mosey, his most recent release, Daniel Romano dances with the sound of 60s experimental pop, country, piano ballads and songs with string and brass horn sections. Produced and recorded in mono by Romano in Fenwick, Ontario at his own studio The Navy in 2015, these songs originally started out as poems. “Valerie Leon” is a song that is part spaghetti western and 60s pop that is awash in horn sections. Also drawing comparisons to American country/pop artist Lee Hazelwood, this song tells the story of a forbidden romance that falls apart once other people in town find out about it. The songs “Mr. E Me” and “Sorrow (For Leonard And William)”, which appear at later points on Mosey, both feature dominant horn sections in the style of “Valerie Leon”.
The punny “Toulouse” features guest vocals from actress Rachel McAdams and drifts in 60s garage/mid 60s Bob Dylan territory, “Hunger Is A Dream You Die In” and “(Gone Is) All But A Quarry Of A Stone” are tinged with shades of Romano’s previous work. “(Gone Is) All But A Quarry Of A Stone” was also released as the first single for Mosey. The music video features a different version of this song, titled a “premix”. It trades in more standard drums and different guitar parts for a different feel than the album version. The music video features a disheveled Romano with a Bob Dylan Afro eating a cheeseburger in a junkyard while wearing a silver Adidas tracksuit. During the video there is also a female character that hangs off of railings and does some sort of bizarre exercise routine amongst the garbage and in front of the track suited Romano. Overall, the video and song provide the listener with an uneasy feeling. A feeling that is prevalent throughout Romano’s music, but one that is also captivating. This uneasy feeling travels through the songs on Mosey, addressing issues that surround our current culture.
“The Collector” is an obscure cover of a song first recorded by The Everly Brothers in 1966, but written by Sonny Curtis. This song fittingly described as a psychedelic waltz does not seem out of place on Mosey and is executed in a haunting fashion. “Dead Medium”, the final track, addresses current trends while leaning towards the sounds of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue. On 2015’s If I’ve Only One Time Askin’, Romano explored a sound that drew influence from a 70s Countrypolitan sound. It is obvious that Romano gravitates towards country influences, but with these last two releases he has combined a myriad of styles for something that is difficult to define at times. With Mosey, Daniel Romano exercises steps in new musical directions. Lyrically, he circles around the theme of a lack of identity that exists in our current culture.
Another version of this article first appeared in The Windsor Independent.
Saturday Night Playlist:
1. The Frights - All I Need
2. The Kills - Impossible Tracks
3. Terminal Licks - Come Over Tonight
4. Tin Machine - If There Is Something
5. Tin Machine - Bus Stop
6. David Bowie - Bombers
7. Jaill - Got An F
8. Twin River - Knife
9. Jay Arner - Like A Dracula
10. Counterfeit Jeans - Gemini
11. Elvis Depressedly - Slip
12. Levitation Room - Crystal Ball
13. What Seas What Shores - Texas
14. Dot Dash - Daddy Long Legs
15. VHS - Fully Realized
16. CFM - You Can't Kill Time
17. The True Lovers - Lady Of The Manor
18. Pavement - Conduit For Sale!
19. Mudhoney - Between Me & You Kid
20. Suuns - Fall
21. Xiu Xiu - Packard's Vibration
22. Case/Lang/Veirs - Delirium
23. Daniel Romano - Toulouse
24. Daniel Romano - (Gone Is) All But A Quarry Of A Stone
25. C.W. Stoneking - The Zombie
26. Neil Young - Journey Through The Past
27. Neil Young - Comes A Time
28. Neil Young - Motor City
To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for July 2.
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