EP: “Self Titled” by Dan Gordon

This EP from the Bournemouth based singer/songwriter is packed full of passion and undeniably catchy songs. Within the four tracks on this EP, Dan Gordon displays not only that he is a fantastic songwriter, with an ability to write easy to listen to melodies, but also that his vocals are far more interesting than the majority of artists in the charts today.

The entire EP sounds as if Dan thoroughly enjoyed himself whilst recording it and this makes the tracks even more pleasant to listen to. Something that struck me whilst listening is the likeness, vocally, to Michael Jackson who I believe was one of the greatest singers, ability and technique wise. Dan definitely offers a great deal of similarity and this only enhances the distinctiveness of his music. “Alone” opens the EP with an upbeat folk vibe, which is presented alongside gritty vocals to really hit home the narrative within it. The use of the guitar as percussion is something that is becoming ever more noticeable and desirable in the industry today but Dan shows that he has perfected it and is not afraid to use the instrument to its full capacity. After only gigging since summer 2012, his ability to slide into his falsetto with ease really shows the professional level already achieved and that his current unsigned status is something that needs to be changed quickly.

“Franco” is yet another song with an upbeat and easy to listen to quality. The guitar melody throughout this track is a great example of Dan’s writing abilities. My only criticism of this track is that, production wise, the guitar sounds slightly distorted in sections which could be due to the guitar being too loud. However, saying that, the rest of the track achieves a full sound and creates the sense of there being a few musicians.

The penultimate track on this EP is “Single Working Man”. The song seems to be about the frustrations of how society works today, in the sense that those who don’t work have more money than those who have been working since they were old enough to. However, the breakdown of the song features whistling and a more light-hearted and carefree recap of the lyrics. Maybe this suggests that no matter how frustrated you get with society, there are more important things to worry about and you should be grateful for what you have right now. This is my favourite of all four songs as it is fiery, heartfelt and passionate. It is also an extremely catchy and unique song which you’ll, no doubt, have your feet tapping along to.

“Don’t Worry My Dear” is the final track on the EP and is a lovely conclusion to the tracks you’ve already heard. It’s a very simplistic yet heartfelt track which really allows for the chance to showcase all the intricacies of the two disciplines intertwined.

Overall, this EP from Dan Gordon is truly fantastic and is not to be missed. It’s released on 4th November this year and is followed by an EP launch at The Anvil in Bournemouth on the 10th November.

Track Listing
Alone
Franco
Single Working Man
Don’t Worry My Dear

Videos

Web Links
http://www.dangordonmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/dangordonmusic
https://twitter.com/dangordonmusic

Review By Caroline O’Mahoney