Album Review

Dropout Dan – Forever, Instead

• 12th Feb 2013

Forever, Instead is the second EP from the Cambridgeshire based singer songwriter Dropout Dan (aka Daniel O’Dell). His fast paced acoustic sound can’t really be called folk; it’s more powerful and probably comes closer to acoustic rock. With passionate and well written songs, he clearly has the lyrical content to get himself noticed and his vocal delivery is emotional and strong.

Forever, Instead, to be released on Valentine’s Day, features five tracks and comes in at just over fifteen minutes long. The opening Oh, Little Red is upbeat and in places intricate. Both the lyrics and the melody seem to dance around without a clear structure and the result is a track that is difficult to define, yet pleasing.

Puppy Fat feels a little more aggressive. The vocals are a touch strained in places, but the passion of the love song is clearly expressed, and subtle harmonies add to the power of the chorus. The Sound Of Faking has some nice piano work to go along with the guitar. The tone is haunting, with a lot of soul searching going on, and it has a real lyrical depth.

Sentimental is probably the pick of the five tracks. A strident guitar opening comes before the vocals kick in, with two different tones used to create what sounds like an internal dialogue. Strings are later added to create a lush backing for Dan’s vocals, which mix passion and regret rather nicely. Final track Like The Stars is a little slower in tempo initially before bursting into life, and finishes the EP on an uplifting note.

At times Dropout Dan’s delivery seems a little awkward. It’s as if he has so much to say that the lyrics are tumbling from his mouth, fighting for space. But he does have a way with words and his songs are well crafted. Add in strong and elaborate guitar playing and an emotive voice and you get a very decent EP.

Venue: Forever, Instead
Support Band: Anchor Records