Dan Miraldi Shares the Insightful & Delightful “More Mood Music”

More Mood Music, the latest EP from Dan Miraldi, is a blend of his rock-and-roll roots and a more toned-down, acoustic vibe. The EP starts off with the beautifully composed track, “Alexandra Apocalypse.” Written in the pandemic-induced quarantine, “Alexandra Apocalypse” is a song about life in the age of the end of the world. “I’m sorry if I come off over eager/ But we just met at the end of the world/ This social distance has gotten me down,” are words that speak to most right now in the form of an acoustic ballad.

Miraldi has also released a special version of the EP with 3 bonus tracks exclusively on Bandcamp. The money he receives for the rest of 2020 from the Bandcamp sales will be donated to the NAACP.

Find the album via Bandcamp:

https://danmiraldi.bandcamp.com/album/more-mood-music-deluxe-edition

Next up, “Buzzin’” transports you to the summery days of New York in the ‘60s. With a sound, and production to match, reminiscent of the early folk scene in the city, “Buzzin’” is a groovy love song that also finds Miraldi longing to be with the one he loves. In the same folk centric vein, “Reflective Folk Song” showcases the choir-like vocals, which take you from summer in the previous track, straight on to a more somber fall.

Miraldi shares of the release:

“At the start of the year, I assembled Mood Music For Introverts, an album about the joys of a quiet night at home alone or with just a few friends. It came out in March and then ironically the whole world went into quarantine and we were all having quiet months at home alone or with just a few friends. I couldn’t go out and play shows. To stay sane, I just kept recording and made this sequel, More Mood Music. This record differs from its predecessor in that some of the songs are tied thematically with the idea of using music as a means of connectivity despite distance.

More than half of the songs were written during the first months of the pandemic. All but one song was written in the last year. In the past, I would write and make demos and then think about what songs I wanted to record in a proper studio with a producer. After recording, I would then sit on the songs before finally putting them out. Sometimes I would wait a year or two. With all the craziness going on right now, I am aware of the finiteness of time. I have a lot of music in my head that I want to finish. I am more confident in setting up my home studio to make these “mood music” types of recordings. Like the first Mood Music, I mixed these songs myself and played most of the instruments. However, quarantine did leave me missing playing other musicians. Via socially distanced collaborations More Mood Music has some guests appearances on certain tracks – Adam DeAscentis (bass) and Dan Cobert (piano) who often play in my NYC live band, Nathan Hedges (bass and lead guitar) who is in the New Preservation Society with me, and then Jay Nemeyer (lead and slide guitar) who has graciously been appearing on my records since the beginning. I do not know when I will step onstage in front of an audience again. In the meantime, I am going to keep recording and try to not go too crazy.”

In “Tequila Meets Gin,” Miraldi illustrates the process of falling for someone after having “…too much tequila/ And a little bit of gin.” A recurring theme throughout the EP, Miraldi is constantly painting a vivid picture and “Tequila Meets Gin” is no different with lines like “We were sharing a taxi/ He had left you in Japan/ But you stole his t-shirt/ Of his favorite band.” Keeping with the theme of alcohol, we move on to “Love & Whiskey,” which channels Johnny Cash with a swingy groove and acoustic guitars.

Miraldi rounds off the EP with “I Tried (Let Go),” which starts off quietly with just himself, an acoustic guitar, and a tambourine. As it progresses, we hear electric guitar tones come into play and the song turns into something that could’ve been an Oasis track 20 years ago. The somber lyrics “Yeah I tried and I tried to be the one who makes you happy,” portray a breakup which ends the EP on sorrowful note. Regardless of the unhappy ending, through More Mood Music, Miraldi took us on a poetic, wonderful journey through navigating life- especially through a pandemic.