Michael Daross

Review by Melissa Nastasi
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

With a little bit of country and a little bit of rock and roll, meet Michael Daross, the singer-songwriter hailing from Austin, Texas. A whole lot of help from his friends and established musicians including Ian Varley (Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears), Charlie Fountain (Van Wilks), and Karla Mansur (Alejandro Escovedo) has helped him create Head for Daylight, his newest effort that will soon make him known to the masses. Yes folks, it is that good.

The record starts off with the track “Magnesium,” and glides in with smooth tones and perfect, yet not-too-soft vocals from Daross. This is the beginning of the phenomenal lyric storytelling on the record that is something difficult for musicians to accomplish well. “Dreams are dangerous when you start to think they’re real,” sings Daross with an accompanying female vocalist, Karla Mansur, which adds to the perfection of the track along with a light organ rising up from behind. A pedal steel opens up the next track “Moon to You,” and this is where he really starts to shine. Reminiscent of early Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown, the songs grab you immediately with a bit of alt-country twang done right. Daross seems to have no problem in this area, as the quality of his vocals and the complexity of the music blend into one flawlessly.

“Snake Charmer” leads in with a memorable guitar riff that becomes flooded with a horn section, then turns into layers of piano and organ. Daross builds a foundation with each song on the record and textures build up to create a wall of sound that fills the room. The funny thing about these songs is that no matter how many instruments come in and out, the vocals are still extremely prominent without force. “Landmines” also opens up with horns keeping in line with the previous track. The pedal steel is also in tow, which brings a cohesive element to the record as it echoes in a haunting manner throughout. “Feeling hits you right between the eyes,” sings Daross, giving a potent taste of the lyrical poetry sprinkled throughout Head for Daylight. The trumpets end the track as triumphal as they came in.

“Casual,” is the first taste of Michael Daross’ guitar skills, and is the most blues-like song on a record that has already dabbled in indie, country, folk a bit of soul. “That Care Forget” features Daross and a piano creating an incredible ballad; simple, yet beautiful, and perfect for the soundtrack of a romantic movie. It’s an emotional track that grabs your attention and has you looking for the repeat button. The album ends with the sorrowful “Keeper,” and begins simply with Daross and an acoustic guitar. Midway through, it picks up and is evocative of super producer/singer-songwriter Jon Brion.

Michael Daross still marches to the beat of his own drummer though. Head for Daylight is a brilliant piece of work that will surely put Daross on the map of great musicians of the modern era. This is only the beginning for him and the listener. One listen is all it will take to be drawn into this magnificent piece of work. Michael Daross put his heart and soul into making this album and it really shows. The listener will not only be able to hear it, but they will be able to feel it as well. This friends, is an unforgettable record.

- ReviewYou.com