Reflector - Daniel Donato

Track List:

1. Lose Your Mind

2. Rose In A Garden

3. Hi-Country

4. Dance In The Desert

5. Double Exposure

6. Gotta Get Southbound

7. Halfway (In Between)

8. ‘Til The Daylight

9. Sugar Leg Rag

10. Hard to Tell

11. Faded Lovin’ 

12. Locomotive #9

13. Half Moon Night

14. Weathervane

15. Dance In The Desert (Reprise)

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My son slept in so I had to take him to school

I listened to about half of this album while getting ready for the day today. Gonna dive in for a complete listen now.

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Lose Your Mind

This feels more pop country. Or perhaps more produced. 

Rose In A Garden

I get the feel that this is somewhere between the previous two albums as far as style and feel. This doesn’t feel as traditional as Cosmic Country but also not as fresh and as experimental as A Young Man’s. Still feels more produced. I suspect there is a different producer on this album than the previous ones. 

Hi-Country

I like the use of the organ. 

Dance In The Desert

Disco! Almost seems like a theme to a festival or something.

Double Exposure

I feel like this is just jam band music at this point. 

Gotta Get Southbound

This is another song that sounds to me like it could be something from 80’s synth pop. I wonder how this song would work as a mashup with Southbound Pachyderm? I’m fairly sure it wouldn’t work at all but sometimes I have thoughts and ideas. The lyrics seem to idolize the idea of heading south. It reminds me of a tourist ad that I once saw for apartheid era South Africa. 

Halfway (In Between)

I would say that a lot of this album seems a bit formulaic, some verse/chorus/verse/chorus with a solo section that works as a bridge, finalized with a reprise of the chorus. I am not complaining, just pointing out that most songs aren’t overly complex in their composition. 

‘Til The Daylight

This feels more like pop country to me. 

Sugar Leg Rag

Interesting intro. That was a fun ride, I really enjoyed that. 

Hard to Tell

This song isn’t bad but I liked the previous one so much this is a bit of a let down. 

Faded Lovin’ 

I don’t have much to say about this one. 

Locomotive #9

Much more rockabilly feel to start. I really liked this one too. The instrumental stuff is phenomenal.

Half Moon Night

Sort of reminds me of moon rituals I heard about before, praising the moon and its cycles. 

Weathervane

I like the intro, there is a near trap beat with the high hat on the 8s. 

Dance In The Desert (Reprise)

Run it back y’all.

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I listened to all releases

I gotta say I think I preferred the first album by Donato. I see the change and evolution of the music in this one and I like a great deal of this too but this feels too polished overall. The first album had some of the same qualities I hear when I listen to things like Strawberry Alarm Clock, raw passion that is not polished to a mirror finish. Overall this has been a fun exploration and I really do enjoy Donato’s music.