Artist: Greg Dayton
Album: Sailing for the Sun
Label: GMDayton Music
Release Date: 02.07.20 79
Having a bad day or a bad week? You can always drown your sorrows with a good couple drinks, distract yourself with a little dancing, or maybe try to simply chase off the blues with something bright and happy. What the heck, you could always try all three together—and if so, Greg Dayton is right here to help. Sailing for the Sun works just fine with a cold one in your hand and makes a decent foot-stomper for anyone who’d like to get up and shake something. Or if you’d rather leave those options alone, the album is still delightful enough to do the job on its own.
However the track list may look on the surface, Dayton keeps it all cheerful underneath. A title like “Change Your Ways” might suggest some nasty love-going-wrong song, but this theme is a hopeful one, all about the chance to make a new start any time you like. “Falling Fast” refers to diving into a new romance, set to the sunniest bluesy romp you’ll hear all week. “Cold Wind Blows”? The lyrics acknowledge how good things can fall apart, but on the music side it’s a rollicking piece of horn-seasoned N’awlins boogie. When things slow down, it’s for an optimistic rock ballad or piece of soothing blue-eyed soul; with the instrumental interlude of “Out of Your Element,” the crew spins a piece of sunny flower-child folk that Crosby, Stills and Nash would have been proud of.
Sailing for the Sun is a helping of pure meat-and-potatoes rock and roll: the ingredients are familiar, the playing is simple and tight, and Dayton’s voice is just as pleasantly unassuming as the hooks. That’s not to make it all sound bland, since there’s an insistent and genuine charm that keeps it from dullness. These are songs that settle into your head like a comfortable house guest; a casual listener might not be bowled over at first pass, but then find themselves unexpectedly humming them a couple days later. Fortunately, Sailing for the Sun lasts longer than your usual house visit and proves itself good for plenty of happy returns.
—Geno Thackara
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