I have mentioned before that I subscribe to B&W’s Society of Sound, and have done so for the last five years. It costs me $60 for a 12-month subscription for which I get to download 24 high-resolution albums, two per month. I think it’s a great deal. Each month, I get one album from London Symphony Orchestra’s LSO Live label, and one from Peter Gabriel’s RealWorld label. For me, the classical downloads are the major pull, but occasionally the RealWorld offering turns out to be the bigger gem. Such was the case this month, when the offering was Day One’s new album Intellectual Property.
Day One is a band I have never heard of. Over the course of 15 years, this would appear to be only the English Duo's third album, but they have managed to make their mark with contributions to a number of TV and movie soundtracks. Check out the link below.
How would I describe the latest album “Intellectual Property”? On one hand there are a number of apparent influences which include David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Ian Dury, and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. On the other hand I detect stylistic tips of the hat to Motown, Country, and New Age, all of which underly an overall vibe of something you might call “stoner hip-hop”. Maybe it is all those 70’s and 80’s influences that appeal to me. What’s that you said?…. the stoner element?
Anyway, call it what you will, it is a superb album. The songwriting is sharp and observant without trying to be too deep. Each and every track has a clear hook, and the recording is clean and full, with a sensitive hand on the production levers, although the sound overall does fall short of the highest audiophile standards. At any rate, it is quite simply a first-rate album. And, at the moment, I think the only way to get hold of it is via B&W’s Society of Sound. So, if nothing else, it is a good excuse for you to check it out. There is even a Free Trial option, so what’s holding you up? :)
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/Society_of_Sound/Society_of_Sound/Music/Day-One-Intellectual-Property.html
