ALBUM REVIEW: Dan Reed Network’s ‘ORIGINS’ Defines Feelgood Funk Rock (Out 23 November)

Dan Reed Network release “Origins” on Friday November 23rd, 2018 via Dan Reed’s own ‘Zero One Entertainment’ Label.

Pre-order your copy of ‘ORIGINS’ ALBUM & BUNDLES HERE

The album is a mix of brand new tracks and old favourites re-imagined in  a new way. And it all kicks off with “Fade to Light”, recently released as a single to kick off the whole run up to the album launch.  And it proves to you immediately that it is going to be a cracker of an album. The rhythms and harmonies are incredibly infectious and just keeps you listening. The chorus has beautiful harmonies whilst the verses are pure lilting easy listening that reaches down to your soul. The guitar solo is perfectly riffed towards the tone of the song. It will just leave you with a down to earth heartening feeling.

“The video for Fade To Light is taken from the inaugural live studio recording session at Blueprint Studios in Manchester and is the perfect microcosm for this entire process. What I think really translates throughout is how having an audience in the room fed the band with a unique energy that pushed us to expand our creative horizons. We’re thrilled with the results,” explains Dan Reed. .

“Ritual”  has a funky electronica mixed with funked up rock bass and guitar sound. Again there is a beautiful harmonically balanced style to it. The choral interludes fit perfectly alongside with Dan’s vocals. This is a wonderfully soulful song full of positive vibes that just leaves you feeling good about the world.

Next is “Right in Front of Me”, a soft balladesque song about the gifts and good fortune you have right in front of you the whole time you are distracted always looking for something better. It’s an ephemeral track with a solid moral attached to it. Another stunning track that just leaves you with positive vibes and a smile on your face.

The track “Forgot to Make Her Mine” is a favourite track to play live and it has now been set into the album. It’s a down and dirty funk driven track with pure iconic rock riffs. It has blisteringly thunderous drums, funky synth, heavy guitar riffage and excellently executed vocals. Even the fact that it is really a song about hindsight and regret about not seeing something at the time you won’t be able to resist rocking out to it and felling a strange sense of joy.

Up next is “Shameless” is about relationships, even friendship ones, that has a real anthemic feel about it and feels like it would fit perfectly as a movie score. Wonderfully co-ordinated to give a pure feelgood vibe it is a fantastic track.

No, it’s not THAT song. “Let it Go” by Dan Reed Network is a totally different beast. And some might contend a much better beast (depending perhaps on how many times you were forced to listen to the Disney one!). It has a light tone to it with a lot of acoustic guitar on the go and a feeling of a slower but still uplifting soul track. If music can heal, then this is one of the wonder drugs. You can’t feel sad after this one.

The penultimate track “One Last Time” kicks in hard and fast to knock you out of your blissful contemplation. Even with that it still has that uplifting vibe that again sings of faith in someone and the strength to stick with others even in the worst of times. Again the whole track is slickly soulful and funky that just delivers the smiles, even involuntary ones.

The final track “Rainbow Child”, is beautiful ballad like song to end the album. It is pure 80’s easy feelgood listening, that as a description might put you off, but really it just speaks straight to your soul and then gives it a light tickle to make it smile. Just a superb track.

Overall, the style and delivery might remind you of the likes of Genesis, and that is no bad thing. Whilst we all love our rock and metal, the likes of the Dan Reed Network delivering this album gives you that perfect interlude to enjoy a different style of rock and a breath of fresh air. There is not one thing wrong or off that can be said about “Origins”. It is a flawless album of anthemic, sing along songs that help lighten the heavy or burdened soul with its much needed pick me up tonic vibe.

Strangely, it is the sort of album that will sit snuggly in-between the heavier albums in your collection and is well worth picking up in November when it’s released.

Review by Happy Metal Geek

Originally posted on Metal Planet Music

DAN REED NETWORK “ORIGINS” NOVEMBER 2018 UK TOUR
Special Guests MASON HILL & HOLLOWSTAR

TICKETS www.danreed-network.com/tickets

The Robin 2, Bilston – Wednesday 7th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook / Twitter
20-28 Mount Pleasant, Bilston,
Wolverhampton, WV14 7LJ
www.therobin.co.uk

Newcastle, Riverside – Thursday 8th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook / Twitter
Neptune House, 1 The Close, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear, NE1 3RQ
www.riversidenewcastle.co.uk

Inverness, Ironworks MonsterFest – Saturday 10th November 2018
Ticket Price: £60 Venue Box Office: 0871 789 4173 Tickets: www.ironworksvenue.com
Tickets: Ticketweb
Facebook / Venue Facebook / Twitter
122-B Academy Street, Inverness, IV1 1LX
www.ironworksvenue.com

Glasgow, The Garage – Tuesday 13th November2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Venue Box Office: 0141 332 1120
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
490 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow, G2 3LW
http://garageglasgow.co.uk

Wakefield, Warehouse 23 – Wednesday 14th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Venue Box Office: 0141 332 1120
Facebook / Twitter
23 Smyth Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF1 1ED
https://warehouse23.co.uk

Muni Arts Centre, Pontypridd – Friday 16th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Municipal Buildings, Gelliwastad Road,
Pontypridd, CF37 2DP
http://muniartscentre.com

Chester, The Live Rooms – Saturday 17th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Venue Box Office: 0141 332 1120
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
1 Station Road, Chester, CH1 3DR
www.theliverooms.com

Bristol, The Fleece – Sunday 18th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
12 St Thomas St, Bristol BS1 6JJ
https://thefleece.co.uk

Stoke, Eleven – Wednesday 21st November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook
21a, Newfield Industrial Estate, Sandyford,
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST6 5PD
www.elevenmusicvenue.co.uk

The Venue, Derby – Thursday 22nd November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook
47-49 Abbey St, Derby, DE22 3SJ
www.thevenue-derby.co.uk/live-music

229 Venue, London,  Album Launch Party – Friday 23rd November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Venue Box Office: boxoffice@229thevenue.co.uk
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
229 Great Portland St, London, W1W 5PN
www.229thevenue.com

The Landor, London, *Exclusive Networkers Album Listening Party – Saturday 24th November 2018
Ticket Price: £30 adv
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Venue: 0207 737 3419
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
70 Landor Rd, London, SW9 9PH
www.thelandorpub.com

Manchester Club Academy – Sunday 25th November 2018
Ticket Price: £20 adv. £25 on the door
Tickets: www.danreed-network.com/tour
Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Moss Lane East, Manchester, M14 4PX
www.manchesteracademy.net

 *To be a part of the Networkers private event please join DRN’s ‘Networkers’ Facebook group