There are a lot of people throwing around the term “psychedelic country” these days but Daniel Romano is perhaps the first since Sturgill to use it correctly. Romano’s Modern Pressure is pure ear candy — there’s no way to listen to this without headphones at the very least, and an excellent pair of speakers that I do not own. The lavish production — replete with horns, strings, and slide guitars — truly puts you in the center of the room. You can feel the sticks hit the drum heads. If this is how Nashville is doing business these days then I can get behind that.
As careful as the music itself is, Romano’s lyrics are similarly precise as they are complex. Each song is a mini masterpiece with layers upon layers. The album’s lead singer, “When I Learned Your Name” is less a love song to another person — in spite of its bubblegum pop exterior — and more a recognition of and joy in oneself. In other words, it’s the opposite of an existential crisis. And it’s a damn infectious one at that. Even as Romano explores the vagaries of relationships in Modern Pressure, you can’t help but have a lot of fun at it. Overall, this is a joyous album because it celebrates the dips in the human experience.
Daniel Romano — Official, Facebook, Purchase on Amazon, iTunes
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