Album Reviews

Daniel Martin Moore

Golden Age

Artist:     Daniel Martin Moore

Album:     Golden Age

Label:     Sofaburn

Release Date:     10/09/2015

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Golden Age is an uncommonly beautiful album, a collection of meditative melodies that ring with both passion and purpose. Of course, this is nothing new as far as Daniel Martin Moore’s concerned. Each of the albums he’s recorded up until this point have been marked by a singular sense of low cast desire, a meditative stance that’s as moving as it is melodious.

This time around, however, the songs are particularly affecting—all hushed, hollow-eyed and achingly plaintive, a rich tapestry of sad, sobering melodies that are all but impossible to shake. These songs come across like intimate vignettes, each punctuated by unbridled emotion and cautious resolve. Yet even in the midst of this circumspect mood, Moore glances towards higher ground. “Our Hearts Will Hover” matches its appropriately descriptive title with a steady upward climb. The most memorable song of the set, “On Our Way Home,” boasts a completely captivating refrain, complete with a chorus that simply won’t let go.

If Moore’s reached an apex in his career with this album, he has co-producer Jim James to thank, if not in whole, at least in part. No stranger to the allure of ambiance himself, James lends these songs a stoic presence that all but assures a lingering imprint throughout. The music is woven carefully and articulately, but its nocturnal qualities suggest a sound that’s both pensive and persuasive, making each listen as compelling as the time before. That’s perhaps the most impressive element that Golden Age has to offer: the fact that its radiance comes from within, and even when it seems to dim, it still burns as intently as ever.

—Lee Zimmerman

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