Review: Daniel Martin Moore at Brighton Music Hall 4.2.11
Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 8:00AM 
By Lily Linquata
Daniel Martin Moore writes the sort of music with which you must be born to do well. You just can’t teach that sort of “soul.” His Kentucky-roots are laced throughout his third release, 2011’s In the Cool of the Day, and were fantastically vivid in his live performance as the opener for Jessica Lea Mayfield on April 2nd in Boston. His eleven-song set at The Brighton Music Hall was, in a word, exceptional.
Touting a sound wonderfully reminiscent of Doug Paisley, Nick Drake, Alexi Murdoch, and former Sub Pop artist Sam Beam, Moore’s In the Cool of the Day was the focus of his Saturday night set. An album perhaps best suited for the twilight moments of summer, it is every bit the wholesome, warm, and strolling collection one might expect from a true Southern boy. There is a cinematic quality to his songwriting. His music is rich. Although an undoubtedly spiritual collection of songs – a heavy focus on Christianity, much like Patty Griffin’s 2010 Downtown Church – Moore’s live presence may quell even the most outspoken atheist with his soothing vocals and delicate, yet full, arrangements.
Alongside his own work, Moore selected several appropriate and well-executed covers, including “My Rifle, My Pony and Me,” a Ricky Nelson and Dean Martin tune from the Western film, Rio Bravo. Jean Ritchie’s “In The Cool Of The Day,” the title track of his latest release, was also featured, as was Knopfler’s “Trawlerman's Song.” Backed by a multi-talented group of four musicians (notably Joan Shelley and Daniel Joseph Dorff), Moore’s set illustrated a composed reverence for his craft, both in modern and nostalgic terms.
While “Flyrock Blues” was a personal favorite, the highlight of the set came, curiously, as the band unplugged and stepped down from the stage. Surrounded by the small audience, Dorff stomped and clapped percussion, while Moore – accompanied by Shelly on the banjo – closed the evening with an upbeat version of “Dark Road.” Down home, fun, and with enough talent in five square feet to warm every Spring snowed, April fooled heart in the room.
Standing closer to seven feet than to six, Moore’s graceful movements and his entrancement in the creation of his art command the room. Subtle wit brightens his, at times, serious gospel-infused folk tunes. Though, certainly, Moore’s appeal starts with a raw talent, it is perfectly punctuated with an authenticity and with a refreshing humility that so often escapes young industry stars. After the show, when offering a simple compliment, I was met with a genuine "thank you" and with a firm handshake. A Southern gentleman, indeed.
For fans of Iron and Wine, Damien Rice, Doug Paisley, and for those who don’t mind the word “Jesus,” Moore’s newest album, In the Cool of the Day, is highly recommended. Looking for a less spiritual take on Moore? Check out his 2010 collaboration with cellist Ben Sollee, Dear Companion, or his 2008 debut, Stray Age.
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