MP3: The Book Of Daniel - The camels parade
How does someone so young get to sounding so old? The Book of Daniel's Daniel Gustasson is that kind of guy: old before his time. The music he creates is heavy with the kind of poetry and wisdom that one usually associates with age and experience. It's as if he's a relic of an entirely different era. So is it all a ruse then? Does that make him a poseur? Is authenticity really all that important when the quality of work is this high? I'd say no - I have no problem enjoying The Book of Daniel and actually find these sorts of misgivings rather embarrassing. Daniel is a genuine artist and I have no doubt that he's exactly the same kind of person as the one his music would you to believe he is. If that's not the case, that is to say he's simply roleplaying, well that takes talent too. It does not diminish his skill. As for the song I've posted today, the question of identity runs through his lyrics as well: "It's so hard to be yourself, when everybody says you're somebody else." My doubts melt away during the bridge when Daniel strains to falsetto on the last word of each line. That kind of yearning anguish tugs the heartstrings and makes the heart ache. If he's faking, he's a damn good actor 'cuz that's some real passion I hear. It's best not to think too hard about it and just enjoy it. It also should be noted that the recording on the album "Songs for the Locust King" is especially nice and warm. No extraneous compression, just natural tones and a fantastic room sound. I close my eyes and see a band performing in a room together even though I know from reading the liner notes that this was not the case. Everything is organic and clean, especially the horns. Why aren't there more records that sound this good? Even if the music wasn't as nice, I'd still appreciate it for that fact alone. Together, the sum adds up one of the best albums of the fall, perhaps the year.
The Book Of Daniel - The camels parade