by Dom Eagle (PITCH PERFECT)

…The production on this track is sublime. The synths and songwriting blew me away. And the guitar-work, later on, is as hypnotic as always. Great track. Brilliant, in fact.

someplace/else from The Territories West

THE TERRITORIES WEST is one of the latest in a long line of releases from felix danilo. This prolific singer/songwriter is churning out lengthy records left, right, and center. That’s always a good sign to me. It tells me that a musician is bursting with creativity. And that’s abundantly clear on THE TERRITORIES WEST. 

“a time of change (intro)” is an ultra-dreamy opener that sets the tone for what proves to be a beautiful and soothing album. Spectacular guitar-work. That only improves on the second track, “nowhere left to run.” I adore the western style of the riff on this one. There’s a cool, blues vibe to the melody, but there’s still something ethereal and otherworldly about the sound, especially when the synths kick in during the second half of the song.

“bang bang (my baby shot me down)” is a fantastic cover, featuring spectacular vocals from a talented singer. The original song is iconic, and felix danilo. definitely does it justice here. No complications. Beautiful guitar guitar, synths, and reverberating vocals in an intimate setting. What a track. I don’t know whether it’s Nicole Obren or Kayla McGee* singing, but the singer definitely deserves high praise for this performance.

“heartlands” is driven by stunning, plinky guitar notes. The tone on the guitar is gorgeous on this one. Another dreamy, beautiful work of art. Again, I’m not sure whether it’s Obren or McGee* singing, but there’s such beauty in each tender note sung; these singers know how to perfectly match the dreamy aesthetics of these songs. In an unexpected twist, a sudden, muted, distant drum beat bursts into view. This added a little bit of variety to an album dominated mostly by guitars and synths (admittedly beautiful guitars and synths). I think the lead guitar melody in the last section of this track is mesmerizing, too.

“the territories” is a recording of what seems to be some sort of western town, and it leads into the fittingly-western “by his father’s grave.” The bluesy riff, pounding beat, and deep, powerful singing* merge to form a dark, groovy masterpiece. This tune is definitely one of my favorites on the record. “national park (14.04)” certainly deserves a shout-out for its alien synth warbles and dreamy, folky guitar passages and “shaman (interlude)” features a hauntingly spectacular synthetic noise. “southeast of ballard, utah” is certainly the most sinister-sounding track on the record, though. The guitar-work is truly note-worthy on this one; that has to be said.

​“a memory, an escape” has a saddening essence. It’s wonderful and heart-breaking in one fell swoop. The guitar, as always, is absolutely superb. It was “someplace/else” that really impressed me, however. I thought I’d heard everything that felix danilo. had to offer, but the production on this track is sublime. The synths and songwriting blew me away. And the guitar-work, later on, is as hypnotic as always. Great track. Brilliant, in fact. “end credits” closes out the album on a somber note with a beautiful but melancholic chord progression. That being said, there is something epic about the swelling strings and layered guitar-work. It sounds like it could be the outro track to a western film. The whole album, actually, feels perfect for a western. Wonderful work.

• bang bang (my baby shot me down) | vocals by Nicole Obren | lyrics by Sonny Bono
• heartlands | lyrics and vocals by Kayla McGee
• by his father’s grave | lyrics and vocals by Nicole Obren