Album Review - Daniel Robinson "Guesswork"

I am slowly falling in love with Daniel Robinson. His latest single, "Running With The Wolves" totally won me over, and now he's got a full EP that is that same style of music. His presence is magnetic and his music is addicting. That is exactly what Guesswork is all about. Why don't we take a look at this?

 

After the strange opening, Daniel dives right into his electronic world with the lead-in single "Running With The Wolves". I have been digging this song since it came out a ways back. It's a very strange mix of relaxed feeling and electronic. The track is all about getting control of his own destiny and not being anyone's pawn any more. What I really like about the song, though (as well as most of his music), is that the lyrics are never explicit on what exactly they are talking about. He uses metaphors and poetry to tangle up the context so that it can be placed into multiple situations.

"Invasion" is by far my favorite track on this release. It begins with a cheesy 70's scifi noise, but quickly evolves into something more. He seems to be talking about recovering from a relationship, and wanting his life back. The mood of this song is very strange, mixing in spooky effects, but not feeling Halloween-ish or cartoonish. It also has this strange feeling of being upbeat, but not overly-energetic, giving it a more relaxed vibe.

The next track, "Not Your Boy" is the exception to the rule about using poetic placement that was put in above. This song is very blunt and to the point. He is letting you know that he is not your boy. Period. End of statement. This song is also much more pop sound to it, much like things on the radio. If I had to guess, this would probably be my pick for a second single, as it has a lot of potential, especially in the remix department. It also has a faux-dubstep breakdown towards the middle that would probably hit it off with fans and newcomers alike.

The somewhat breakup theme we have going on continues in the slowdown track "Sugar". He is able to see through the facade of his lover, and find out that they aren't worth his time. This song really brings the album to a slower speed, and showcases not only his higher range of voice, but also his more vulnerable side. The vocals really fit with the more raw feeling of the song, which really causes this track to stand out much more than the rest.

We wrap up this journey with "Halcyonic". First off I have no idea what that means. Secondly, my spell check says that it's not even a word. This song has such a great message to it, which is to treasure what you have. Don't focus on the negative, just keep going. "Good morning. Welcome back" is repeated often, bringing it full circle as he welcomes you back to the light of positivity. This track really has the potential to help people through some tough times.

Now this is usually where I brag about how far an artist has come, but honestly this is my first full release from Robinson. I can say that this is the perfect way for people to be introduced to him. His electronic style is much less ubeat and party-tastic than what you may be used to even from TOTU in general. This is a style of music I wish I had more of to expose my readers to.

On the flip side, even though it is an indie release, some of the quality wavers, making it a bit of an uneasy release. A few of the tracks have issues when played on lower quality speakers. And that's about it. No really. Those are my only real complaints. If you listen to it in high quality, there isn't much of a problem.

Check out the entire album up on bandcamp. You can pay five dollars as a minimum, or even more if you like it enough!