Ontarian singer-songwriter Daniel Romano has been pretty busy this decade, releasing eight albums over the course of just as many years. But he hasn’t been too busy to reflect on the mysteries of the universe. Such are the subjects of his latest LP—his third this year, and the most ambiguous. With the announcement of Finally Free comes the first single, “Empty Husk,” which prescribes to a Tim Presley brand of psychedelic folk, its third eye focused on end-times, its production committed to a lo-fi aesthetic, and its accompanying video proposing an Edenic for its artist. “Husk,” like the rest of Finally Free, is what Romano calls “a lucid plea”:
“[‘Empty Husk’] is a final apology and an attempt at the unwarranted reconciliation between us and everything in our path (including ourselves). It is an exploration of how to cope with the certain end created by our own hand. It is the enlightenment of change and the promise of all possibilities in all circumstance, the celebration of all things mystical and unknown. Accepting the unknown with grace and humility, one can illuminate in spirit and trudge forward through the remaining landscape—maybe even see it’s beauty for the first time.”
Further pondering the secrets behind Finally Free, Romano admits, “There is no clear meaning, as I too am uncertain of its origin. Mystery is afoot.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trS3rdCzE34
Finally Free is available November 30 on New West Records (or You’ve Changed Records in Romano’s native Canada). You can pre-order it here.
Upcoming North American tour dates:
November 30th – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace #
December 1st – Ottawa, ON @ 2 Club #
December 2nd – Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti #
December 3rd – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Riz #
December 6th – Waterloo, ON @ Starlight #
December 7th – London, ON @ Rum Runners #
December 8th – St. Catharines, ON @ Warehouse #
January 24th – Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory *
January 25th – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot and Saddle *
January 26th – Washington, DC @ DC9 *
January 27th – Richmond, VA @ The Camel *
January 29th – Asheville, NC @ Mothlight *
January 30th – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre *
January 31st – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
February 1st – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
February 25th – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
February 26th – Victoria, BC @ Lucky Bar
February 28th – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth
March 1st – Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room
March 2nd – Saskatoon, SK @ Capital Music Club
March 3rd – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
March 4th – Winnipeg, MB @ The Good Will
# with The Frigs
* with T. Hardy Morris
