A New Leaf: Grow Displays Dani Erin's Growth Since Return to Home Soil
Review by: Daemon Maxwell, Writer @dmaxwell_73
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner/Editor @PlaylistTC
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In her first release since 2014, Dani Erin’s sophomore album, Grow, displays her growth and talent both as a performer and composer. Born of a connection between Ms. Erin and her guitarist, Nathaniel Gillen, this album is no sophomore slump. Erin’s smooth, jazzy singing style and robust vocal tones pair perfectly with the laid-back, funk-inspired guitar stylings of Gillen. Filled out with drums, bass, and keys to form a talented and versatile band, this album is the perfect re-introduction between Dani Erin and music lovers anywhere and everywhere.
The connection between Erin and Gillen was more like an explosion, with over 60 songs written in short order. Grow, Erin’s second album, presents 10 of these songs, and there are two more albums planned. Each album will be structured similarly, with 10 tracks, with the seventh song being acoustic. Now that Erin’s debut album, To Be Sown, has been joined by Grow, the title of Erin’s planned third album, Bloom, confirms that we have a theme. While Erin was willing to share the title of her forthcoming album (in progress), she’s keeping the lid on the title of the eventual fourth album for now. My money is on whatever comes after a “bloom.” Will the fourth album simply be titled “Bees”? We’ll just have to be patient.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Erin’s first album was released while she was living in New York City, where she was heralded as “[t]he next generation of jazz.” Back in her home state, the release of Grow delivers on that promise, and also on the album’s title. While it’s been some time since Erin released new music, she was busy growing during her sabbatical.
The initial track on the album, “Let Me”, is a terrific introduction to Dani Erin’s singing style and to the talent of her band. The song starts very simply with the instrumentals, adds in vocals, and a this point you might describe the piece as “gentle.” The song then continues to build in pitch and complexity, moving from gentle all the way to “pulsing,” until the first wave of the song is over and it’s time for verse 2. The group uses a variety of tools to accomplish this “coming at you in waves” songwriting effect, volume being one, vocal emotion being another, but there’s a deeper magic here.
Beneath the surface of this album, behind the vocals and under the melody, this band has a penchant for rhythmic experimentation. The drumming sounds simple, but the drums hardly ever just lay down a rock beat with some fills. The fills are there, but also the driving beat throughout each song rarely lacks individualized ornamentation per song. The drums, keys, and bass, throughout every song, take a variety of metric positions relative to the lead established by both the guitar and vocals. The rhythm section keeps things fresh, sometimes mirroring the lead to blend the instruments together only to break them apart again into a new rhythmic arrangement, the end result of which is that butts in the audience start moving, in a good way.
For an intimate introduction to Dani Erin’s voice, try “Right Wrong,” a slowish, jazzy duet with Gillen. Her silky, flowing singing style is expertly held up and out by Gillen’s warm-and-cozy guitar licks. Erin’s vocal delivery sounds effortless throughout the album, never once reaching for a note at the edge of her range. Listening to Grow, one might picture her as a lounge singer on several tracks. My personal favorite is “Two Ships,” a playful, bluesy number that I’m almost positive was recorded while Erin was wearing a sparkly, sequined dress and lying on top of a piano. [1]
In short, Grow is an album you need to hear from an artist you should watch. Dani Erin is back in Minnesota, and she’s going places.
Grow is available to stream now on Amazon, Apple Music, and Spotify. Follow Dani Erin on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter, or learn more about her and her band at danierinmusic.com.
[1] Following the writing of this article, Melodic Noise Media confirmed that Dani Erin, in fact, was in a sparkly dress for the recording of “Two Ships.” Furthermore, we are pleased to be the first to report that she was also sipping a martini.
