There’s certain types of songs that sound like old, campfire/travel stories that you collect only by actually living them. That tends to be the mark of quality folk music, as is Dan Lipton’s Water Rising , his new LP.
The album is both eclectic and consistent at the same time. Some songs are more upbeat, others lean more on the slower and perhaps even melancholic side; you get a generous dash of nostalgia that a folk album could probably never be complete without. Speaking of nostalgia, “Mix Tapes,” a song from the album, was written after Lipton inherited a ’69 Plymouth Barracuda through his father-in-law and revisited his old Mix Tape collection as he hit the open road.
Songs like “Chasing Silence” and especially “Songbird” are like an acoustic waterfall of rich melodies and harmonies that just please the soul. Others, like “Ten Months,” are rhythmic pieces that just magically make you sway your head like an invisible force.
Overall, Water Rising is permeated by good, sentimental vibes in that signature, unadulterated folk way that makes melancholy burn deeply and pleasantly like nice bourbon. And like a nice bourbon, the songs don’t try to explain the meaning of life, but they do help you get a taste of its essence.
Dan Lipton’s Water Rising has all the ingredients to please most, if not all, folk fans.
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