Daniel Merriweather: Love & War
Daniel Merriweather releases debut album Love & War
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Friday, 29, May 2009 02:02
Allido/Columbia, out June 1st.
In a nutshell...
Distinct. Surprising. Enjoyable. Strong. Catchy.
What's it all about?
It's not often that a 26-year-old from Australia cracks the R 'n' B market, but this guy's hanging on tight and doesn't seem like he's going to let go any time soon. This release marks his second studio release and it's pretty bloody strong.
Who's it by?
Daniel Merriweather hit worldwide radio waves with his single Change, recorded with hip-hop artist Wale, though his breakthrough came earlier when Mark Ronson called upon his strangely addictive voice to record a cover of the Smiths' Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before.
With a wide vocabulary and vocal range, it's surprising this guy hasn't hit the headlines more, though he's only young. It wouldn't surprise many if he became a true global success in the coming years, if not months.
As an example...
"Ain't nothing gonna change/Ain't nothing gonna change/If nobody's gonna wake up and start asking who's in charge." - Change (feat. Wale)
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
It's not hard to see him up on the big stage - with a distinct niche of the music market, Merriweather could walk it.
What the others say
"Merriweather is a 21st century prodigy of old school, classic soul. Remarkably and thankfully, his Mark Ronson-produced debut album, Love and War, fulfils all expectations." - Elle J Small, BBC Music
"Change has already provided him with a top 10 hit; ballad Red should follow. An immaculately laid curate's egg." - Johnny Davis, the Observer
So is it any good?
Too right it is. Love & War is an enjoyable experience, regardless of whether or not you like Daniel Merriweather's style.
Sadly, many will get the wrong idea when it's on the shelf alone. When you look at the front cover of the CD for the first time, you immediately typecast the guy as a very generic late 90s/early 2000s pop solo artist, like Dane Bowers or a bargain bin Justin Timberlake.
The thing is, for the right audience, he's much better than JT; he only needed to have a voice to beat Bowers. Well, a pulse.
It's hard to really classify what Daniel Merriweather's genre is. At first, you think he's a prolific black soul singer from the Motown era. His vocals are passionate, powerful and genuinely great. It's a new spin on soul, essentially. Despite his songs cracking the R 'n' B niche - a genre as varied as describing a song as "rock music" - he has a very distinct style.
It's hard not to love.
You'll soon find that when listening to the album, his songs all sound different. I know that's what most people aim at, yet there's always a poor side to an album, or it gets clear in a couple of tunes that things get reused or the artist ran out of ideas. Merriweather simply tells a number of stories.
Many people who aren't able to put the name to the voice will no doubt recognise the flagship track, Change (feat. Wale), which sounds more like a John Legend collaboration with Kanye West. This is not a bad thing. The rap and soul elements are absolutely flawless and the tune is worthy of Timbaland or Ronson, the latter of which worked with Merriweather in the past.
The other partnership features Adele, another image which belies the voice. They duet in Water & A Flame, a heart-warming ballad which can catch you out if/when you suddenly stop to take it all in.
That happens a lot. Love & War fits the Norah Jones model of music: slipping into the background when needed, yet somehow complementing the room's atmosphere to relax you and allow you to unwind. Luckily, it makes you tune in quite regularly, unlike Norah, who will simply wash over most. Again, it's the passion which does this.
For this reason, it's hard to pick favourites. Aside from the aforementioned duets, the recently-released anthem Red is a relatively good effort, though not as standalone as many seem to have described it.
The lovely guitar work of Chainsaw sounds more like a Bob Dylan song, while the honky-tonk piano of Cigarettes is excellent. There should also be an honourable mention for Live By Night, which remains to be one of the best songs to close an album this year, picking up the pace and adding extra emphasis to the lyrics to make it both catchy and memorable.
Many will remember this for the singles which, while great, don't paint the full picture of Daniel Merriweather. He's not quite perfect yet, but he's not far off. Whether you like the soul stylings or not, there's something for everyone here.
8.5/10
Matt Gardner