After getting his first album shelved, the Mark Ronson-affiliate Daniel Merriweather released his debut album “Love & War” in 2009. It finds the Australian singer-songwriter performing his early nineties-inspired R&B material whilst working on production from the British producer Mark Ronson.
1. “For Your Money”
This is a track on the album which is able to really represent what you get from this album and what are included in its content, but personally I didn’t think that it was the best of starts for it as it doesn’t have much of an impact and begins it in a rather passive manner for one suited to just ease things into effect.
**Three Stars**
2. “Impossible”
Moving things on in a much more engaging manner, you get that with this one you find that Ronson kicks things up a gear as he brings in much more energetic beats to the thing, and I felt that this meant that you could excuse the plainness of the first one as he breaks into a fun little joint which gives an idea of how far he can take his songs.
**Four Stars**
3. “Change”
This
was the artist’s breakthrough solo song, and one which is able to outdo the success of the Mark Ronson cover of The Smiths’ “Stop Me”. It is a big tune on the album as you see that he does things in a style which brings out very original things for R&B of 2008/2009 as the D.C. rapper Wale assists with extra rhymes.
**Five Stars**
4. “Chainsaw”
With a light groove being used by Ronson in his production, you have one which seems to keep the thing flowing a way which has the artist doing things at mid-tempo to keep you interested as he shows the fun and lively work to bring the best out of his vocals. It is a big one on the album and one which seems to improve over time.
**Four Stars**
5. “Cigarettes”
You have a big of a retro feel coming through with this one and I felt that it allowed the singer to show where his influences tend to have come from. It is done in a very original manner, in a way you don’t tend to get from others in the game at this time and it really adds to the release to show the strength in his song writing when he does something far from the 2009 norm.
**Four Stars**
6. “Red”
Dropping as his second single (from this album), this is one which I didn’t think really lived up to the expectations from the first one as it finds that he does things in a way which rids it of its RR&B elements in favour of a more alternative Soul composition, and I can’t say that I was too pleased with it at all.
**Two Stars**
7. “Could You”
I saw this as one of the tunes which doesn’t immediately hit you, but definitely grows on you over time as you have one here which has him apparently trying out some sixties Motown-esque material as he does things in a way which people would recognise as somethin which finds in with his style as he writes in a style which has been absent from the game for some time.
**Four Stars**
8. “Not Giving Up”
You have things moving on quite a bit here are this one has him showing how well he can place his vocals into an effective structure to boost it for what it is capable of with the exciting melodies and contrast built up from a constantly-changing approach to delivering the lyrics to maintain the high standard here.
**Four Stars**
9. “Getting Out”
Ronson brings in much more of the Hip Hop through the percussion of this one and I felt that it brought in more of the influences of Merriweather as it acknowledges his enjoyment for the kind of stuff you got from Boyz II men when the debuted in the early nineties. It is an emotive song and he delivers it very well.
**Four Stars**
10. “Water And A Flame”
This song sounds raw, and I felt that it meant that you could really feel everything which you find in the way that he sings it with all of the emotion pouring out of his voice as he croons it out alongside the British Pop singer Adele (Adkins). I was into it until she came to join him, and I felt that this prevented me from really getting into it later on.
With this one you have one which has him keeping to the deeper material, and i have to say that I wasn’t really as fond of this side of his music and so it stopped me from feeling what he came with for this one as it seemed to return to what was found in the opening song on the album with one which isn’t weak, but offers little.
**Three Stars**
12. “Giving Away Everything For Free”
To bring the album to a close, you see that with this one you have him pulling out all he can to leave things on a high as it ends, but really I didn’t think that it did what it should have in that it is a nice one, but it takes a while for it to really connect in any way as you have to track its progression to a big break where it really hits you.
**Four Stars**
Although there’s nothing of a very poor standard within the album, I wouldn’t say that this is really anything that special as you find that it appeals to just stay around the same level throughout and rarely alters in any manner. I can see tat people are likely to enjoy it as it does remain fairly consistent for the same reason and so I would recommend it, but don’t expect anything more than what is found with his single.
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