Majestic debut from Virginia songwriter with a fascinating true backstory.
When it comes to musical inspiration, a musician’s life is integral to what music he or she makes. For Brennan Gilmore, that inspiration comes from a highly unusual background. Prior to recording this debut release, Gilmore lived a very different life to an aspiring singer-songwriter. Originally from Rockbridge County, Virginia, Gilmore decided that if he wanted to become a songwriter, he felt he needed some real-life experiences. So that came in the form of a fifteen-year career as a US diplomat, which took him to such far-flung countries as Sudan, Sierra Leone, Tunisia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic. This amazing part of his life saw him observe so many facets of the human condition that he felt he could finally start making his highly personal music. This was also boosted by the discovery of the words “My Name Is Daniel Leek”, which was scrawled on a refugee shelter wall in South Sudan. The inspiration that this image gave Gilmore the conviction to create a fictional life story in the form of these thirteen amazing songs.
The album is as confident as it gets, and after a mini intro song, we have the majestic Wolf and Sheep, a song just under nine minutes long and an epic acoustic anthem, whose lyrics remain quite elusive but they create a mystical and ethereal image, helped no end by the accompanying vocals from co-producer Dori Freeman and co-owner of the studio in Virginia where the songs were recorded. Wolves of Virginia is another duet with Freeman and is a gentle acoustic ode to enduring love.
Mama Played The Snare Drum opens with a lovely melange of piano, trumpet, and horns, before it opens into a lilting imagination of Daniel Leek’s childhood. Already Gilmore has cleverly allowed the listener a fascinating insight into the fictional tale he’s sharing, and we’re gripped. Recent single New Sudan has a brisker pace to it, and Gilmore explains its background – “While many of the songs on My Name is Daniel Leek are more lyrically impressionistic and abstract, New Sudan is a story song in the ballad tradition, quite literal in telling of Daniel’s flight into refuge“. The song includes some masterful musicianship, including some vibrant fiddle and mandolin playing.
That fiddle playing comes courtesy of Nate Leath and his presence is felt throughout the album, including the dreamlike Nathalie, which looks at the impact of friendship, conflict and perseverance. On Gold Mine, this fiddle work is expertly balanced with some quite edgy guitar licks, creating something a little more edgy. It’s immeasurably helped by a glorious lead vocal from Davina Jackson, and it’s an album highlight.
There’s some truly inventive soundscaping on Goldfinch, an epic thirteen-minute amalgam of acoustic americana, spoken word, rap and folk rock; a wonderfully ambitious and distinctive track. The best track on the album, Why There’s Something Rather Than Nothing, opens with the incredibly powerful “Let’s destroy the borders, they’re only in your head”, before we hear some gentle and tender guitar picking and a duet of pitch-perfect voices. The passion and heartfelt emotion that’s gone into the writing and recording of this album is exemplified on this track; it’s heart-stoppingly beautiful and a joy from beginning to end. We finish with another calming song, Even So Amen, and it’s a perfect finale.
This album is sheer class, an ambitious and enthralling fictional story told in thirteen glorious songs that evoke so many feelings and images for the listener. The incredible life decisions Gilmore made and his experiences have been so cleverly and respectfully transformed into these songs. This is a must-listen-to album that’s wonderfully different.
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