Album Review: Love Without Fear by Dan Wilson

From his early days as singer and guitarist for Minneapolis cult favorites Trip Shakespeare to his Grammy-winning turn as songsmith for acts like the Dixie Chicks and Adele, Dan Wilson's career has been a humble and inspiring Midwestern success story. Pouring his passions and talent into various collaborations, production efforts, and graphic art, Wilson has dedicated a relatively scant amount of time (though plenty of effort) to his career as a solo artist. 2007's sharp collection Free Life was only his first studio LP and it took him another seven years to follow it up with the warm, meditative Love Without Fear.

Full Review >>

Here’s some fun facts you may or may not know about Dan Wilson. As frontman of Semisonic, he wrote their biggest hit, the instantly recognisable 'Secret Smile'. He collaborated Adele on three of her songs on 21, most notably co-writing and playing piano on mega-hit ‘Someone Like You’. That’s two incredible calling cards, and he’s also worked with artists from Jason Mraz and Taylor Swift all the way through to Rivers Cuomo.

Full Review >>

For fans of the underrated ’90s pop-rock band Semisonic — best known for the hit “Closing Time,” but responsible for many great songs — it’s been a pleasure to watch the frontman for the Minneapolis trio experience Grammy-winning success as a co-writer of hits for Adele (“Someone Like You”) and the Dixie Chicks (“Not Ready to Make Nice”). Even better is Wilson’s return as a performing singer-songwriter on his second solo album, “Love Without Fear. ” Wilson enlists many of his friends — including Dixie Chick Natalie Maines, pop chanteuse Sara Bareilles, and Nickel Creek’s Sean Watkins — to complement his own warm, elastic tenor on songs of longing, loneliness, hope, and inspiration.

Full Review >>

Dan Wilson“Love Without Fear”(Kobalt Records)4 Stars He can’t twirl on a high wire like Pink. Or belt a tune like Adele. Or bat his eyes beneath blond bangs like Keith Urban.. But Dan Wilson can write the most sensitive songs those artists have ever sung, often to chart-topping effect. For ….

Full Review >>