I grew up with radio, so as opposed to the MTV and YouTube crowd, I still listen to music with my ears rather than my eyes. But I’ve been working this trade long enough to know that we’ve switched to the multi-media package now, so I always catch the visuals the second time around just to appreciate the whole 360° perspective of any artist. However the golden rule for me is, first listen, then go check out the visuals. That always makes my aural experience an uncontaminated one, certifying that I don’t ‘judge a book by its cover’ or have any preconceived ideas…except on this occasion!
Fate would have it that Dan McLean Jr’s homepage somehow unfolded before my eyes prior to his Soundcloud stream opening. So I came, I saw…and then heard. So what happens when you see a slightly balding, greying and bearded middle-aged man, with a guitar and a microphone at hand? Well, you imagine the sound dummy! Is this a semi-retired rock hero, a lovesick country balladeer or a well-traveled, folk-styled troubadour?
As Dan’s Soundcloud player kicked in, once again I was proven right, like so many times before. Throw out the imagery and turn up the sound if you want to fully appreciate music. And I mean music with real live players, recorded in Toronto and Produced by Dave Dunlop and Executive Produced by Greg Wells (Adele, Twenty One Pilots, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, Mika, Timbaland, OneRepublic, Deftones, Pink and Kid Cudi, etc.)
If you have any concept of the depth of Dan McLean Jr’s talent, you will appreciate the amount of work and passion that went into his single, entitled “I’ve Seen Love”. Dan McLean Jr is a divine conduit of honest-to-goodness music. He is one of kind, the essence of pure, raw, soulful energy. The gift is the voice, but it’s really so much more than that. There are singers and then there are singers. This artist allows himself to be open and from that place he gives. So you’re not just hearing a pop singer deliver a pop song. You’re experiencing a soulful human being, bringing all that depth to the microphone and that my friends, is where it all starts.
“I’ve Seen Love” makes me good every time I listen to it. This is the kind of song that can help a person unwind after a busy day. You will find yourself singing along with the music time and again. In this age of infinite refried, reprocessed and repackaged musical product comes Dan McLean Jr. The only difference is that, here, the talent and inspiration are genuine. With people spending small fortunes for the likes of “American Idol” remakes, this recording represents a genuine artistic interpretation by a competent, highly accomplished vocalist.
Seldom, do I hear a voice that touches my heart. The musical tones and the uplifting sound of Dan McLean Jr.’s voice on “I’ve Seen Love” moves way past your ears and straight into your heart. When an artist can reach out and touch you in such a special way, just throw all the hyped imagery out of the window and trust your ears!
OFFICIAL LINKS: WEBSITE – ITUNES – APPLE MUSIC – YOUTUBE – TWITTER – FACEBOOK
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