In true Darryl Baser fashion, his latest album has taken a few years to develop. Following on from his 2016 LP Raw Selfie, the album #Second Selfie has taken flight, once again from his Dunedin based living room.
Much like his first release, #Second Selfie is an incubation of poetic, eclectic lyrics and honest multi layered material. It may be considered a bit too raw for some, as Darryl leaves in the little imperfections which gives his compilations a unique flavour. He has infused a brooding quality into this album which is, dare I say it… reminiscent of Nick Cave.
The twelve tracks of unique melodies and honest lyrics are kicked off with Blank Canvas which has an eighties electronic sound to it and moves along at a swifter pace than most of the other songs.
#Second Selfie has a cleaner sound, as opposed to Darryl’s first album which was recorded on an LG Optima cell phone back in 2016. Yet it still delivers its own unique, refreshing and individual auditory experience.
Inspiration for this album came from events, people, change etc… "they are just my reaction to the situation, an audio snapshot of a moment in time". Hence, he has ended up with some heartfelt lyrical story telling.
As with Darryl’s past endeavours, Dunedin based artist Sarah Flourish adds her unique creative style to the album art.
Like his first album release, #Second Selfie bares its soul minus the arrogance and showmanship. It is, as a fellow musical journalist has noted "authentic songwriting that can’t be denied". There is a moody, melodic tone which Darryl’s vocals convey, almost nostalgic in an unembellished straight forward manner. What I like about Darryl’s style of recording is, you feel part of the experience, as if you are sitting on a couch in his living room, wine in hand waiting for the gig to start like a Dunedin based Sofar Sounds.
I am not sure if this is the end of the selfie phase for Darryl Baser, but it has been an interesting and enjoyable journey reviewing his music. I look forward to hearing what the future brings.
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.