His 2nd album down the line, Quiet Commotion's indie folk sound and themes of loss and disconnection from his debut are now delivered with a haunting smear. While it can stump at certain moments, the striking elements of the writing and atmosphere are enough to end up being remarkable.
Quiet Commotion aka Daniel Katz has an affinity for writing amidst the presence of seasons and weather, whether that be the brightly lit summer or the draining whining rain. Once you look closer, you realize that he presents plainspoken observations of his own experiences, rummaging through a poignant mindset and piecing things together feelings of loss, disconnection, and loneliness. Displayed on ‘Halla, Kara Flod!’ is a summer-glazed folk record that does not shy away from the pensive, somber writing and muted vocal nods to Elliot Smith, peppered the processed drums, acoustic brittleness, and midi synths that keeps the entire thing a sonically consistent, but narratively concerned record. It takes nods to those who brought folk to its peak, Nick Drake and Elliott Smith comes to mind as their reflections loom over their heads, a same technique Quiet Commotion brings to his arsenal.
A year passed by, and now Quiet Commotion has a new environment to set his new musings on, the cold, dull rain. ‘All Others Strange’ is a different weather from his debut, a cold stillness strangles this record from front to back. It changes its sunny textures and breaks them off, revealing textures that feel abandoned and haunting, a mood that sets Quiet Commotion’s muted vocals well. Additionally, the writing does not distance away from the dimness Quiet Commotion explored back then in his debut, but now, it’s misty and a little scattered, requiring you to get into a proper emotional headspace as the cold may leave you numbingly feverish.
The themes of disconnection and loss explored on his debut album are still here, where the sadness from that loss comes in scattered ghostly pictures. ‘Sun Leaves’ starts the record with the themes placed down, thoughts of someone that Daniel has complicated feelings for as the driving guitars, simple percussion loops, and haunting synth wails make the vocal melodies feel spectral. ‘Crows’ gives in pale and dry guitar strums to emphasize Daniel’s glum dialogues of a figure that’s no longer with him, where his world is now smaller because of it. ‘Bug Zapper’ describes Daniel feeling his gloomy expressions in vivid detail along with an excerpt from a Mitch Albom novel, with pattering drum loops, off-kilter guitar blends, and whirring synth effects. ‘I Don’t Speak, Pt. 1’ and ‘Speak to Me, Pt. 2’ are one-two punches that interconnect with each other. The former song emphasizes the echoing piano chords that are accompanied by the trailing guitar chords and circling haunting effects, allowing the specter of the lyrics to swarm through, where Daniel’s loneliness is now affecting him deeply. It continues towards the latter song, relying on stabilized grooves and skuzzy guitar leads to focus more on Daniel’s desire to forget his friend entirely, knowing that his friend will have to forget him back.
That scattered disconnection and dimness expand further, revealing more confusion and discomfort about that figure being Daniel’s own identity. ‘The Fallrope’ is a brief observation where memory fails to serve Daniel’s drifting mind, all with gentle guitars and pianos to accentuate the numbed vocals. ‘Trish’ puts a view of Trish and her desire to be somebody else, with nimble guitar pickings and hushed vocal performances setting the tone. ‘After The Pinch’ brings the most instrumental tensions so far with the driving guitars, shrouded synths, and light percussion aiding the themes of scattered memories. ‘12:25’ closes the narrative down in its most somber, mirroring Quiet Commotion’s to a priest, where both can’t get what they both want as the somber guitar chords and muted vocal harmonies petrify all of the emotions.
It’s a record that definitely expands upon the scope of what Quiet Commotion’s can provide in both sound and writing, but there are definitely missteps and possibilities that he can work on in the upcoming yearly projects. Daniel’s muted vocals can get muffled by his more engaging instrumental textures from time to time, making certain moments feel distracting especially with tracks like the excerpt reading of ‘Bug Zapper’, the noisy heft of ‘After The Pinch’, and certain spots of ‘Dumb Things’. While the drums add a melodic tune, the texture of these drums is lightly stiff and does not blend with the organic mix as they completely stick out in the open. There are certain songs that don’t stand out from the rest of the tracks. ‘The Fallrope’ while is fine, acting as a follow-through from the previous track. The melodies on that song can feel a little bit quaint. ‘12:25’ is a weird song as it slips away the flow of the record due to how sluggish it goes, and it narratively doesn't encapsulate the record in an emotionally interesting way. And ‘Dumb Things’ is the weakest out of all the tracks, where the forced vocal falsettos, tepid instrumental progressions, and weird wobbling piano texture just make the entire song awkward as a whole.
It’s just his second record and it’s clear that he will continue to do more. It’s quite impressive for Daniel Katz to create this set of lyrics and tunes that may feel a bit beholden to his influences, the fact that the emotional tensions are this vivid and striking is an amazing thing to accomplish in his teenage years. Making somber narratives of tangled identities and how the loss will affect you is painted with such poignant and cutting lines showing the growing learning curve that Daniel is going through as a writer. It’s a learning curve that he will still go through as a musician, where polishing up his melodies, instrumental breadth, and mixing will make him go pretty far in his still-growing artistry in the veins of lowkey indie folk. But still, even with these flaws, it’s the aspect of Quiet Commotion’s strengths that is pleasant to hear realized in the future.
Favorite Tracks: Sun Leaves, Crows, Bug Zapper, I Don’t Speak Pt. 1, Speak to Me, Pt. 2, Trish
Least Favorite Track: Dumb Things