DANIEL EZRA: Incantations

With a driving drum beat and catchy melodies, Incantations, Daniel Ezra’s latest release, is a journey through self-assessment and insight. Dark folk that blends ethereal themes with a bluegrass tinge make for a listen that is perfect for a road trip or as the soundtrack to a party.

This is Daniel Ezra’s second solo album, but he has been a prolific contributor to the San Diego music scene and beyond in projects like Dani Bell & the Tarantist and The Midnight Pine amongst many more via his work as a session player. Incantations is a voyage into a new genre for Ezra, dipping into more of an acoustic folk feel with some darkness to it. Daniel, a talented multi-instrumentalist, plays guitar, banjo, piano, and accordion on many of these tracks, lending a feeling of a group of musicians sitting around a campfire. Ezra has assembled a small but mighty backing band with John Robertson on drums, Jason Littlefield on bass, and Batya McAdam-Somer on violin.

The opening track, “Let You Go,” speaks on a mutually agreed upon break up, bittersweet with lyrics like, “Oh you did nothing wrong/ And we mostly got along/ There’s things I know I’ll miss/ Like your silver smile and that moonlight kiss” suggesting there’s still something to be appreciated in the ending of this relationship.

Then—almost seamlessly—we are led into the title track, “Incantations”, in which we start to see the overall theme of the album come to life.

“Don’t Wanna Be Numb” slips us into another part of Ezra’s psyche where he laments his own decision making and hopes to keep in touch with someone that might be slipping away. He takes us on an internal journey through his feelings of getting older and his worries that he may lose touch with a friend. The song has an Americana twang that contrasts with some of the darker feelings he’s exploring.

“Never See the Sun” continues a theme of internal exploration with a song that laments a hangover with an upbeat groove highlighting accordion riffs. The next song is much more stripped down with harmonizing violin over some acoustic guitar picking and carries the theme of the album once again in “Curse.”

We then arrive at “Song for Pessimists,” a relatable take on how easy it is to be jaded in the music industry. “Why bother chasing your dreams/ When you’ve slowed down to a crawl/ When morning’s are so cold and dark/ Why bother getting up at all.”

The final track concludes the album with a pared-down acoustic guitar track called “Wind Blows Cold,” featuring some beautiful vocal harmonies.

Overall, this album successfully melds a very personal journey with genre-bending Americana folk. Daniel Ezra’s talent resonates through the album with clever lyrics and masterful musicianship. Take a listen on your next road trip for a special journey into his mind.