There are records able to put yourself in peace with the whole world out there, maybe due to their purity, the optimism that transpire from their lyrics or maybe, just maybe, because there is true artistry behind such records.
American Troubadour Danny Lynn Wilson, after many years spent On The Road trying to reach that fine but decisive balance between clever songwriting, exceptional vocal delivery and inspired musical arrangements, through his brand new record called Peace Of Mind, he has certainly achieved that artistic goal, thanks to a series of life daily vignettes translated into songs of fabulous intensity and depth.
One of the key factors on the making of Peace Of Mind has certainly been, for Wilson, the decision to work together with Dave Gross, a highly skilled and talented producer and multi-instrumentalist, whose artistry has hugely helped to shape sonically, in the best way possible, what Wilson himself called, on the new album's sleeve notes, "a collection of simple songs".
Wilson's humility in describing his songs as such doesn't give justice enough, in our opinion, to that wonderful record that it is Peace Of Mind. Suspended between Roots and Americana, two musical territories that fit very well Wilson's new songs, Peace Of Mind is, lyrically, the most open and honest mirror of the American artist's life journey of recent years, with Wilson constantly succeeding in permeating his songs with the same positivism, tenacity, belief and love for life and music that the singer/songwriter carries within.
Vocally, Wilson is, at this stage of his career, at the top of his game and this clearly transpires through the new album. It's easily palpable, through each of the songs included in Peace Of Mind, that Danny Lynn Wilson means every word that he sings on the record, an emotional aspect that often and unconsciously impacts the intensity of the vocal deliveries of an artist's songs.
The singer/songwriter doesn't make a single wrong turn, on Peace Of Mind. Shine Is Off is so heart-warmingly sang and executed, with the artist penning some of his best lyrics to date ".....All my life , I've stumbled down this road, always carried such a heavy load. I see the light is dying in your eyes, that should be no surprise...." and the closing, intimate and tender hymn to love and life that is the song called Galway Bay, is a Folk tune that truly brings shiver to your spine.
As previously mentioned, Dave Gross has done a splendid job in mixing and producing Wilson's new record. As a musician, Gross has provided some stunning layers of music too to Peace Of Mind, like on the album's title-track, with that formidable intro with the banjo or by delivering a splendid electric guitar solo on Arkansas Trotter, among all the remarkable body of work that Gross and, frankly, all the studio musicians have overall provided on Wilson's stunning new album.
Peace Of Mind is certainly a record that delivers in full and on many levels, emotionally and artistically. Moreover, this is an album that marks an extraordinary peak in the career of Danny Lynn Wilson, a highly talented artist that has gifted us all with a record of eternal beauty and grace. 2019 couldn't start in a better way for the world of music.
Peace Of Mind is out now and it is available via the artist's Official Website