Published on Sep 6, 2016
A prolific Canadian who was Juno nominated, Daniel Romano has been a busy man since 2009, releasing a handful of EPs and LPs. Romano is a renaissance artist who has dabbled in punk with his former band Attack In Black, though these days his work is more akin to Hank Williams and Bob Dylan.
On Mosey, Romano dives straight into '60s and '70s sounds, adopting country and psychedelic influences. First track “Valerie Leon” is the definitive song of Mosey, taking on a retro feel with a rowdy, danceable vibe that could have been played at Woodstock. “I Had To Hide Your Poem In A Song” follows with a classic rock feel, before the key and pop friendly “Hunger Is A Dream You Die In.” “Toulouse,” a fun duet with Rachel McAdams, is more honky-tonk spirited combined with fuzzy guitars and is one of the best songs here, while “Mr. E Me” sounds straight out of a spy movie with horns, strings, and a shuffling pace that just begs to be paired with a chase scene.
Romano excels at the sparse aspects of his songwriting, too. “One Hundred Regrets Avenue” is a stripped back piano ballad that sounds as introspective as its title, and he broaches pop with the Whiskeytown-esque “I'm Alone Now.” The slow burning and gospel like “(Gone Is) All But A Quarry Of Stone” has quick organ solos meandering throughout, and Romano draws similarities to Willie Nelson.
Romano has a busy year ahead, as he is also releasing another album titled Ancient Shapes. If that album is as eclectic, well thought out, and carefully constructed as Mosey, Romano will be in a very small group of musicians who have released two incredible albums in one year. Even more amazing than the wealth of sounds present here is that Romano recorded everything by himself and played all the instruments.