A presumable homage to the iconic and timeless classic from The Eagles, ‘Hotel California’ is a project imbued with emotion and earnestness. Powered by a raw and well focused sound, and entirely helmed by singer-songwriter Daniel Green, the indie acoustic/folk project is another silo of optimism in a world dying to enter a post-covid state. But rather than throw his sound all the way back to the charming naivety of the 60s, Green’s interpretation of indie folk is more modern.
It’s rooted perhaps most similarly in bands like Wilco. But still, that doesn’t mean That he forgoes the godfathers. Citing Simon & Garfunkel as a distinct influence, it’s clear that old-school folk still holds a special place in Hotel California’s sound. With Carl Albrecht producer of Hotel California’s ORANGE Album Daniel Green played the Vans Warped Tour in the USA or the SZIGET in Budapest in the past. They produced tracks with Ronald Bood (Mando Diao, The Kooks) and in 2009 Hotel California released their first and well received album “The New Sound Of Folk”. So, a more than decade break later, Green has returned with another collection in a much needed time.
Starting with ‘Keep The Fire Burning’, Green immediately relays the organic nature to his craft. It’s slightly unfiltered, a tad underproduced, a little clattered, but somehow wonderfully synergistic. His defiant cry, ‘you keep the fire burning in me’ just powers the track along each minute. Bringing a more easy going strumming pattern with a falsetto vocal, ‘Let The Ocean Rock Your Soul’ almost sounds like the theme song for a 90s show. It’s got a weird and endearing summer energy to it.
At 12 tracks long, ‘Orange’ is filled with a smorgasbord of different ideas and instrumental soundscapes. And within each individual piece, there’s a little bit of fun to be had. For instance, ‘Fuck Yourself’ is just an entirely unadulterated ball all around. From Green’s wonderful vocal intonations to the jagged, almost cowboy-esque chorus that just has him repeating the song’s title disdainfully and endearingly while saying ‘corona my friend’, it couldn’t be more enjoyable. It’s just so wonderfully odd that you can’t help but find entertainment in it, if you’re not cheering along in that outro, you’re a prude.
The closing track, ‘We Aren’t Made Of Stone’, is wonderfully understated. With notably minimal and stripped back production for a large section, it quickly takes a sharp u-turn into more vocal melodies and aggressive strumming to provide a more cathartic closing piece to the album. All around, a wonderful project from back to front that any folk fan who’s up for some eccentrics would love to hear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ388UbNAsc
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