Dan Masquelier grew up with music; he plays violin, bass, piano, sings, writes and records his own creations. And with two albums already released on Jamendo many people who have made Dan’s songs part of their permanent music collection hope there is still more to come.
Originally from Tracy, California, and graduating from California State University at Chico with a degree in Music Industry and Technology, Dan’s first album, Wake Up, is a wonderful blend of acoustic, folk, and a touch of indie sounds ready to warm up just about any day with its calm yet highly optimistic nature.
Those who notice the poetic lyrics of many of the songs should not be surprised as they were greatly inspired by poems composed by the singer-songwriter over the several years before the release of the album. The album itself comes with a beautifully arranged contributions of acoustic guitar and a violin which together with the vocals bring us the uniquely fresh sounds.
Wake up begins with a song of the same title and for which vocals, for some unexplained reason, remind me of Colorblind by the Counting Crows every single time I listen to it. Yet it is Remain True and Summer is a Blond Girl, a track that is just perfect for enjoying all those upcoming summer evenings, that became my very favorite. The song (as most of the remaining tracks) also includes lovely solo violin playing in the background, an addition that further expands the melodic depth and arrangement of the release.
But outside of the individual tracks, the great thing about the album is how well performed it is, including the quality of the recording and it’s the instrumental composition.
As mentioned previously, Dan Masquelier released two albums, Wake Up being the earlier of the two. His latest release, States Away, was made public on Jamendo in December of 2009 and even though it kept the enthusiastic nature of the first recording, it remained strictly instrumental with a wide range of ethnic sounds entangled into a web of more contemporary pop, folk, and rock genres.
I write about love, loneliness, adventure and mystery, really trying to convey the feelings I’ve experienced in each song. I sincerely hope you enjoy what you hear. – Dan Masquelier
Related Links:
Dan Masquelier on Last.Fm
Wake Up on Jamendo
States Away on Jamendo