Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream

I don’t really know what it is, but I have a soft spot for The Damnwells. This Brooklyn, NY collective has consistently been churning out what I term a ‘workman’s rock’.  The band is really the genius of one Alex Dezen, who decided early last year to change up the supporting cast.  Fortunately, the music hasn’t changed.  And if that isn’t good enough for you, how about the fact that Dezen is currently working on getting his MFA at University of Iowa’s ‘Iowa Writers’ Workshop’ and that he actually teaches a class on ‘rhetoric’?  Damn!(well)

And here’s the coolest part about Dezen: he actually is offering his album for absolutely nothing in return! You heard me: free! If you don’t believe me, click here. That means that you’re going to get this album, queue it up, and begin listening.  You’re going to hear the now classic Dezen vocals on “Bastard of Midnight”, as its emotive verses explode into the vast ether of the chorus.  Maybe your ears will also catch the folky strains of “Dandelions” with its steady homologous guitar and keyboards.  As you soak up the rhythms of “55 Pictures” and the golden echoes of “Everything”, you start to realize what Dezen is getting at.  There’s clearly some serious personal discovery hidden within this record, the sound of man moving into a new stage of life with a little chip on his shoulder and some hubris to boot.

‘Somewhere between nothing and something is everything / Somewhere between darkness and wonder is every dream / Somewhere between braking and broke there’s a song to sing’.  Need I say more?

Get a copy of One Last Century for FREE!

Listen to “Bastards of Midnight”

Listen to “Everything“