The room sound really comes through in the opening track of the new EP, #SecondSelfie, from Darryl Baser. It brings a real sense of honesty to recordings. The way the stick hits the rim of the snare drum, the guitar ringing through, the odd here and there of the band talking to each other at the end of the songs, it all adds to the style.
At times, this EP reminds me of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, which is a fantastic thing. But what's more, it's real authentic songwriting that can't be denied. You won't find flashy modern production here, instead you will find an artist who creates stories driven by guitar. Of course, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, although I would suggest giving it a listen and paying attention to the lyrics and subtle delivery. Also, woven into the tapestry are tasty basslines and the sprinklings of guitar melodies that complement the songs. The drums are there to keep things moving along and done well.
I commend Darryl for recording #SecondSelfie as a band in a room, even with the little inconsistencies and mistakes. I mean, that is real music. Just go back to the older albums that you love and you will hear everything like that there.
Overall, #SecondSelfie has a great selection of songs and it's an EP that is captured to sound as though you were there live. Great work. I really enjoyed this one.
He was made in England, born in Wellington, and grew up in Turanganui-a-kiwa (Gisborne).
Recent history - working on a follow up LP to 2016’s #RawSelfie which was recorded in 2013 on an LG Optima cell phone in a series of live takes in a St Kilda flat.
So far #SecondSelfie is being tracked on a lap top using audacity, where baser is recording layers of guitar, bass, percussion, voices, and in some cases found sound.
Right, here’s the older history.