ARTiST: Daniel Martin Moore
ALBUM: Stray Age
BiTRATE: 173kbps avg
QUALiTY: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.97 Final / -V2 --vbr-new / 44.100Khz
LABEL: Sub Pop
GENRE: Indie
SiZE: 49.14 megs
PLAYTiME: 0h 37min 30sec total
RiP DATE: 2008-10-27
STORE DATE: 2008-10-10
Track List:
--------
01. Stray Age 3:19
02. It's You 3:22
03. That'll Be The Plan 3:55
04. In These Hearts 2:41
05. Who Knows Where The Time Goes 5:53
06. The Old Measure 3:43
07. By Dream 2:29
08. Where We Belong 3:56
09. Restoration Sketches 1:49
10. Every Color And Kind 2:59
11. The Hour Of Sleep 3:24
Release Notes:
--------
YouÆve never heard of Daniel Martin Moore, from Cold Spring, Kentucky. ThatÆs
okay. Before we got his unsolicited demo in January 2007, neither had we.
Luckily, heÆd heard of us, and contacted us the way people in Cold Spring still
doùhe sent us a package, just to see what would happen. In all honesty, his odds
were quite slim, but occasionally weÆll take down that ôno solicitationö sign on
our door. Eventually, we opened his package and gave his four songs a listen and
decided to contact himùwe happened upon Daniel while he was working at a
friendÆs bed and breakfast in Costa Rica. HeÆd been a bit of a drifter up until
this point, studied photography in college, joined the Peace Corps in 2006,
traveling to Cameroon for his service. What was supposed to be a two year
commitment was cut short due to illness. So he came back to the states, lived in
Minnesota for a while with his brother (who plays piano on several tracks), and
began to focus on music.
The first thing youÆll notice about his debut, Stray Age is its simplicity. ItÆs
a folk record, evoking certain feelings (as all good records should), but
thereÆs a gentle approach to its sound and the way MooreÆs voice phrases his
words. Stray Age was recorded in Los Angeles in three different spurts, the
first two sessions taking place in October and December of 2007, then the third
in February of 2008. He even got some people youÆve heard of to help him out.
Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White Stripes) took on co-production,
recording and mixing duties. Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Tori Amos) played
upright bass. Jesca Hoop lent her voice to ôThe Old Measureö and ôRestoration
Sketches.ö And Petra Haden (Bill Frisell, Beck) adds violin to ôItÆs You,ö ôThe
Hour Of Sleep,ö and ôThe Old Measure.ö
Those reference points are really just that, though. Moore is most captivating
as a singer, one who doesnÆt seem concerned with usual folkie fodder. If you ask
him what his musicÆs aboutùa legitimate questionùhe just politely shrugs his
shoulders in a way that says, ôthatÆs up to you to figure out.ö But, the
insights in Stray Age are not secrets and would never hope to be. ThatÆs a good
thing, as MooreÆs much more of an optimist, hopefully anticipating the things
that are just around the corner. ôThatÆll Be The Planö strums along to a soft
drumbeat, a traveling narrative centered around delicate mandolin solos. The one
cover on the album, ôWho Knows Where The Times Goes,ö has Moore slowly, softly
singing Sandy Denny, coupling his gentle coaxing with a faint vibraphone.
Yet as simply as Daniel Martin Moore thinks of Stray Age, itÆs rich with
understated complexities that take you to places that people like Nick Drake and
Mojave 3/Slowdive principal Neil Halstead have been cited as doing. ThereÆs a
soft swing in the vocals reminiscent of Chet Baker. But the one thing with
Moore, that we like to think of as separating him from the pack, is heÆs looking
forward. He wants to go places, he wants you to come with him, and weÆre finding
him right in that moment.
Stray Age is a work that welcomes a listener to know it. This is Daniel Martin
Moore. He comes from a place both geographically and personally removed from any
sense of the independent music scene. Clearly, thatÆs okay.