This guy popped up on my Spotify during a Steve Young binge and I've gotten a little obsessesd with him for like a month. So glad the country torch is being carried along, even if it is in 🇨🇦 :D
When I heard the first couple of lines... I thought of what I said in my head about this house I lived in for 9 years-now, flipping, about to go on the market, "I guess the picket-fence could be white washed for those, who buy it and think that is what they have always dreamed of."
Country sound from the 1950s. In the 1960 executives decided to lose "hillbilly" image and added strings. Country today has the mainstream Backstreet Boys type thing and then there is well...this guy! 3 will describe it better. Kenny Vaughn is one great picker too.
Hard to imagine Dan fronted one of the best emerging Canadian bands of the mid 2000's. I remember growing up in the scene at the time witnessing the buzz around Dead Only Better and later Attack in Black, it was immeasurable, you knew they were going to get recognition outside of Niagara. I'm not saying you have to stick to one genre of music or do lots of press and touring ad nauseam, quite the opposite, I just can't imagine purposely squandering that sort of rare fleeting opportunity in music just to make low-fi experimental records in your basement. I think it backfired and it is truly baffling still to this day, I always wonder what a real follow-up album to Marriage would have sounded like when they had the full attention and anticipation of the Canadian music scene. To me, this era of Dan Romano isn't authentic, he's playing a role like an actor in a movie with costumes from a by-gone era and hastily put together music. He almost says as much when describing how he puts lyrics together. It is obvious when someone isn't singing in their own genuine voice too and it always makes me cringe a little. I make a point to check out what he's putting out knowing he's an incredible musician, but just haven't enjoyed anything of his since, knowing what he's capable of. He is a cautionary tale in my mind. This was kind of sad to watch but interesting none the less. I wish he never lost the ability to be true to himself, but who knows what one is going through, it's not my business.
He switched quite quickly to more 70s inspired rock, especially now with his live shows. I think he got quite sick of playing these songs rather quickly but they are really enjoyable nonetheless.
