Two sides of Dailey on 'Torrent' EPs

June 15, 2009

Rock
Will Dailey Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2
CBS
ESSENTIAL "Peace of Mind"
Will Dailey plays with Gypsy Tail Wind on a Boston Harbor boat cruise on July 31.

Funny that Will Dailey should name his latest project, one intended partly as a response to the changing economy of selling music, after the primary method of stealing it. But "torrent" could also refer to the speed and volume with which the Boston-based singer-songwriter currently finds himself coming up with material, and "Torrent, Volumes 1 & 2" collects a pair of EPs that Dailey released digitally as fast as he finished them earlier this year.

"Fashion of Distraction" is the stronger of the two, starting off with "Peace of Mind"; it has the ringing guitars of power pop (12-string courtesy of Roger McGuinn) and the organ of Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde," making it more or less Tom Petty. Dailey balances it with atmospheric acoustic numbers both light ("Keep You a Mystery") and ominous ("Allston") before "Down the Drain" grafts a horn section to a Hold Steady-tough stomp.

The far less interesting "By the Blue Hills" EP covers pop-oriented John Mayer territory (and, on "Love Is on the Way," its Jason Mraz suburb), and the bonus tracks - two songs totaling 4:18 - are little more than cheap afterthoughts.

"Torrent" validates Dailey's initial idea: Sometimes brevity and promptness trump the need to fill out a CD. (Out now)

MARC HIRSH

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