SINGLE REVIEW: DAN CALEB - DON'T LOOK DOWN
Over the past two years, we have been very fortunate to witness the evolution of a new generation of singer/songwriters who have been slowly but surely building a name for themselves in London through relentless gigging and open mic nights. It has been both fascinating and wholly inspiring to watch as these musicians have progressed both in terms of confidence on stage and in their songwriting capabilities and are now at the stage of releasing their music to a wider, unsuspecting audience.
One person who has grown significantly in the past year is 'Dan Caleb' who released his debut single 'On The Hillside' earlier in the year. A beautifully, melancholic folk song with a fantastic production job to boot. Caleb now returns with his second release 'Don't Look Down'; a joyously upbeat song with a strong positive message.
It is practically impossible to talk about 'Don't Look Down' without discussing the sensational production job that builds layer upon layer to create a truly mesmerising soundscape to accompany Caleb's talent as a songwriter. In fact, in our opinion, layering is the key component that changes this from a good song to a great song. Simply put, 'Don't Look Down' is a song that vastly improves with repeat listens as there is so much to sink your teeth into from the subtle yet constant intricate guitar work that runs throughout all the way to the multiple layered vocal tracks that give Caleb's voice a dreamlike quality and provide some astounding vocal harmonies. It is testament to Caleb's abilities as a songwriter that 'Don't Look Down' is bursting with technical flourishes and intricacies, but never comes across as showy or over-saturated.What could have easily been a very simple folk song has evolved into something far more technically complex whilst still sounding easy going and catchy enough to sing along to.
