Things I Don’t See
Self-Released, 2019
9/10
Though Kevin Daniel’s musical career started out with piano and saxophone and playing music on the jazz and blues side of the equation, he’s played in several bands across the entire spectrum of sounds. These days he spends quite a bit of time behind a guitar and at the front of the stage on a flourishing and quickly rising solo career.
After the opening groove friendly and rock friendly “City That Saves”, “Used To Be” recruits spirited guitars in a warm, rootsy rock setting. “Pour Me A Drink” finds a nice place to reside amid alt-country and blues sounds, while “Jupiter” showcases Daniel’s gritty yet tuneful pipes on a country tinted highlight.
Near the end, “22” illustrates Daniel’s adeptness with folk influenced strumming, and “Time To Rise” delivers a raw, acoustic strummer with subtle yet effective pedal steal. “All I Need” ends the listen with some Nashville influenced fun with rural melodies and smooth vocals.
Daniel has already released a pair of exceptional EPs, and this first LP solidifies the Brooklynite as one of the most interesting and unpredictable songwriters in today’s Americana scene.
Travels well with: Jason Isbell- The Nashville Sound; Butch Walker- Stay Gold