Concert Review: Dan Croll Is Millennial James Taylor At Webster Hall
My readers know that I often connect past artists and their influence with those of the present, as artists like Janis Joplin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston can always be felt for the mark they have left. Thus, when I heard Dan Croll, I immediately felt a “James Taylor” connection. From full voices that drop into the music like brightly-colored leaves on autumn and lyrics that make what seems mundane of life bursting with magnificence, Dan Croll is like a Millennial “James Taylor”. The difference stands in the techno- synthesized rhythms he uses to back-drop his folksy guitar melodies.
There he was, front and center, in between two fellow bandmates. He quips that he usually has a 5-piece band, but due to Brexit, the others are gone. The crowd laughs at his dry wit and ease, two qualities that are the foundation of his music. Being young or even being human takes a lot of humor and intelligence, along with a learned tranquility to embrace life. As you hear Croll roll out old and future hits like, “Swim” and “Home”, you to swoon the calm of electricity of his sounds. As the synthetic keys of Andrew Hunt meld with the earth guitar and voice of Croll, you feel a spirit of rejuvenation come over you like when you take a rich shower before work; suddenly, you are ready to embrace the routine of your day like a fresh adventure. This idea is, in some ways. what Croll’s music is all about, and what makes him a Millennial James Taylor.
James Taylor spoke to his generation for his ability to encompass the wishes, whims, and woes of it like they were a passing breeze, which, in some ways, youth is. Thus, as the crowd swayed to the cool adrenaline that soars when you combine synthetic pop with indie folk music, I noticed that the sound of his songs were only a platform for what really captivated the audience: his lyrics. It seemed that his tracks, like “From Nowhere”, had the singular sentiment in common that speaks avidly to the Millennial generation: incompleteness. Lyrically, Croll strikes for the tussling optimism of youth that counters the swelling insecurities and doubts that come with feeling like you are nowhere near the person or place you wish to be. From relationships, economy, career, spirituality, and overall personal ambitions, Millennials have been plagued with overall sense that their dreams are farther from them than they should be, but all hope should not be lost. It is in this strikingly stunning mix of reality and philosophy that Croll’s concert thrives as one that could be enjoyed in an intimate lounge or Madison Square Garden. When you make your music universal. but founded in a generation, you reach a point where one day people will compare their current roster of generational artists to the ones of the past like, James Taylor and now Dan Croll.
Overall I enjoyed Dan Croll’s concert because it was nice. Nice is, unfortunately, deemed plain or lame by some, but in a world where people struggle to feel connected to each other and their own self, nice feels welcomed. I want to feel nice when I see a concert. Moreover, I want to feel less alone in my struggles with life, which music makes you feel, in general, but Dan Croll’s music makes you feel it beautifully. Click Here For More Information On Dan Croll .
