Daymoon - 2026 - Wednesday

(56:10; OOB Records)

Daymoon are back with their fifth studio album, the fourth I have heard, and this is a major step forward from where they have been previously, with a release which is utterly compelling, interesting and, it must be said, dark in places. The line-up is very similar to 2022’s ‘Erosion’, with the core seven being Fred Lessing (6-string and 12-string Acoustic guitar, bass guitar, cavaquinho, field recordings, flute, keyboards, melodica, metallophone, percussion, sax, violin, vocals & narration), Lavinia Roseiro (lead vocals and choirs, metallophone), Luca Calabrese (bugle, trumpet), Paulo Chagas (oboe, saxophone, flute, Catalunya gralla), Jeff Markham (acoustic and electric piano, Hammond B3, Minimoog), Thomas Olsson (electric guitar, eBow, guitarscapes) and Tiago Soares (vocals, violin) plus a few guests.

I definitely recommend getting the physical CD as opposed to the digital download, as the booklet not only provides the lyrics and who played on what, but also the background behind each song. There are 16 songs in total, but eight of those are part of the “Vershickungskind” (Children That Got Sent Away) suite, which tells a story I have not previously come across. Apparently, between the 50’s and 80’s millions of children were sent to industrial-sized children’s homes in Germany, and this song suite relates incidents that happened to Fred and others. It is chilling, with the music often very Germanic, and certainly not as light and bright as the rest of the album as it all combines to create something dark and horrific. 

The whole album feels much deeper, more broad in its outlook, and is very art rock in its approach and far removed from what one normally considers Crossover as they bring in ethnic influences, folk, brass, and so much more to create a soundscape which envelops the listener, taking them on multiple journeys, some far more pleasant than others, and deliberately so. There is no doubt in my mind that this is their best album to date, a complex and enthralling piece of work which in some ways is comparable to modern Big Big Train, and at others sounds like no-one else at all. Compelling stuff.  

Kev Rowland, April 2026

Links:
https://www.daymoon-music.com/
https://oob-records.com/