Album Review

Dalton – Dalton

• 23rd Feb 2015

Dalton is the alter ego of LA based multi-instrumentalist Nate Harar, formerly of indie band Sugar, It’s Eli. His debut solo album offers up ten lo-fi tracks that may be stripped back yet are also full of melody and a wide variety of sounds. Many of the songs are melancholic, but the slow paced and thoughtful lyrics are always interesting. There is a DIY feel to Dalton’s music, the introspective almost shoegaze style livened by bursts of indie guitar.

This album never quite settles, keeping you on edge and wondering just where it will go next. Bedford And Grand opens with a burst of piano and features a fine vocal performance, slow and full of pain. Breaker then raises the tempo with a twinkling guitar melody before standout track What Never Should End explodes through the speakers. Upbeat and with a more strident guitar sound, this one heads more towards mainstream indie territory than anything else on the album, the big vocals giving real power to the track.

Debut single Only Names is a fine dramatic track that builds from big drum and glockenspiel beats. It combines a nice melody with occasional choppy guitar and vocals that seem to sit low in the mix. There’s something cinematic about the track, its forlorn feel suggestive of a fade to grey film ending. Control is also very good with its more rocking guitar sound. And the final track So Long So Well ends the album on an emotional note. A slow track with passionate vocals, this one seems to provide a resolution, finally overcoming problems and moving on. It’s a good closer and ends the album on a positive note.

Dalton was a new name to me, although he did have an EP release 18 months or so back that achieved some good reviews This first full length album should now bring more attention to Dalton’s music and that can only be a good thing for this talented performer.

Venue: Dalton
Support Band: Fierce Panda