News

Daniel Carlson – New Album Announcement and new Video

• 31st Jan 2014

“Me You You Me” is the triumphant sophomore album from songwriter, singer and guitarist Daniel Carlson, which follows 2010’s critically acclaimed ‘Aviary Jackson’. On this record you can expect to hear the style of someone not far removed from the likes of Beck through to 70s era Floyd, and Sean Lennon.

Carlson comes over pretty cool on record, in fact he’s about as laid back as they come, yet he still hurts and introspectively manages to take on the everyman role by tapping into the essence of the modern 20 something condition in the free world hence the resonant title of this record, as he delves into the philosophical connotation of relationships with lovers, partners, wives and husbands and quite probably everyone else too. This is what dream pop is all about.

Daniel Carlson grew up in Chicago and, following a three year Southern California detour, found himself in New York City in the early 90′s. After spending much of the next five years playing in various downtown rock bands, he withdrew from the scene to rethink the route his musical life had taken.

As luck would have it, Carlson soon stumbled upon then-current records by the High Llamas, Cardinal, and the Divine Comedy (among others). Representing a complete left turn from the power pop Carlson had been playing, these beautifully written and meticulously arranged chamber pop records pointed him in a new direction. Trading in the electric guitars for cellos, french horns, Mellotrons, and Moogs, Carlson spent the next few years relearning most of what he’d known about writing and arranging music.

Spending half of his time each year in Amsterdam split with NYC, Carlson’s latest effort is an interesting breed of European psychedelia and US influenced downbeat experimental sounds, like a 60’s-pop psychedelic soul who had grown up on post-rock, shoegaze, electronica and math-rock and incorporated those influences. Despite there being a pool of songs written for his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Aviary Jackson’, Carlson decided to add some closure to that period of writing and start from a fresh stand point on all new material for this record over a series of sessions. The sound is a honed and refined version of his debut. It is soothing and introspective, awash with atmospheres but with the occasional jaunty hint at 60’s psychedelia. If you let it, the music will plumb melancholic depths but at the same time, it could be a soothing cloud ride into a dream world.