Dan Navarro (from Horizon Line

Dan Navarro (from Horizon Line

Dan Navarro (from Horizon Line on Red Hen Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
 
Dan Navarro is a genuinely amiable fellow. He proves that with the hospitality he shows courtesy of his Cantina Navarro room at each and every gathering of the national Folk Alliance confab, but he also made it clear when he teamed with David Eric Lowen as part of the Folk Pop duo Lowen and Navarro. Since Lowen’s passing a decade ago, Dan Navarro has busied himself with several projects that include ventures into film and video games, not to mention the three albums he’s released entirely on his own.
 
Not surprisingly then, Horizon Line conforms to the gentle template he’s furthered all along, courtesy of ten songs that emphasize melody, grace, delicacy, and desire all in equal proportion. ‘Enjoy every minute around the sun’ he urges on “Circling the Drain” before declaring ‘we have this time on earth, why not live it for all it’s worth?’. It’s an ode to optimism that earnestly suggests we make the most of all the time we’re given. It also sets the tone for the album overall, making for a series of feel-good moments flush with comfort and assurance from start to finish. These are lovely melodies indeed, and hearing Navarro share these sentiments so confidently and compellingly on “She Dreams in Color” “Come and Find Me”, “Sleep Tonight”, and “Hopeful Hearts” makes one realize the sentiments he expresses are sorely needed these days, especially given the trauma and turmoil that are all too pervasive as far as everyday existence.

Cynics might say Dan Navarro is simply a Pollyanna who’s prone to ignore the harsher realities of division and discord. That may be true, but when one considers the result, Dan Navarro need show no shame in pleading guilty as charged. The tender trappings provide a sense of comfort and caress, courtesy of a well-plied dose of affirmation and encouragement. Best to consider Horizon Line a salve of sorts, and one that’s sadly long overdue. (By Lee Zimmerman)
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