With his eagerly-awaited fourth full-length ‘Fools’ set to arrive in the coming months, Dan Croll continues the support for his new studio album with the wonderfully dreamy new single “Talk To You“.
Following on from the record’s lead offering “Slip Away“, his latest endeavour captures more of that sweet and woozy aesthetic he has begun to hone for his upcoming collection. Channelling a heady mix of shimmering textures with his heartfelt lyrical flow at the helm, “Talk To You” continues his pursuit of vibrant instrumentation with a more intimate message at its core. The new track is accompanied by a visualiser by renowned illustrator Mason London.
Adding about “Talk To You”, Dan explains, “‘Talk to you’ is about what I found to be the hardest part of a break-up, the loss of a friendship. Despite the gut feeling that I made the right call, there was no denying that the day-to-day close presence of a friend was greatly missed. Like some strange muscle-memory, weeks after the break-up I still found myself picking up my phone without even thinking about it to text her and then quickly realising that that was something I could no longer do.
As with a lot of the tracks on this record, I still wanted to contrast the sadness of the topic with something socially positive. I’d been listening to a lot of disco/country around that time and I think quite a bit of that seeped into the production of this track.
His new album ‘Fools’ finds Dan Croll at a crossroads, documenting recent events with warmth and wit to help him decide which direction to take. Five years after leaving his beloved Liverpool for sun-soaked L.A., a move made on a whim, which transformed his sound, ‘Fools’ poses a fundamental question is it finally time to come home?
Explaining the inspiration behind ‘Fools’, Dan said, “This album came at the end of a turbulent few years for me with the isolation of covid, a break-up, and the homesickness for all that I left behind to move to America. But whilst these were all challenging moments there were some moments of beauty and resilience that allowed me to get through it all. These songs document that tumultuous period that not only I but I’m sure a lot of others went through in what can only be described as a challenging moment in time.
“I decided to go back once more to Richmond, Virginia, to work with Matthew E. White and the incredible musicians there. Each time I’ve been back I feel we grow and understand each other more and more, and there was a particular ease in capturing these songs that I hope comes through in the record.”
The sumptuous ‘Fools’, Dan’s fourth album, follows 2020’s ‘Grand Plan’, a critical hit which captured his early experiences of life in L.A. and effortlessly exchanged his synth-pop of the past for sepia-tinged folk rock with Laurel Canyon leanings.
‘Fools’ jumps forward through Covid to the end of an intense three year relationship, the death of Dan’s grandmother back in Britain, and rare trips home as restrictions lifted. Sonically it spreads its net wider — country, disco and woozy psychedelics join the Carole King and James Taylor nods on ‘Grand Plan’.
Both albums were recorded largely live at the legendary Spacebomb Studios in Richmond, Virginia with Matthew E. White (Natalie Prass, Flo Morrissey, Slow Club) and his four-piece house band. This time, Dan co-produced, tinkering with sounds late into the night to add his own stamp to the record.
Fools Tracklist:
1. Slip Away
2. Talk To You
3. Friend Of Mine
4. Red And The Green
5. Sunshine
6. Second Guess
7. Fools
8. Piece Of The Action
9. Stephen
10. How Close We Came