Album Review – Jesse Daniel’s “Son of the San Lorenzo”

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photo: Jodi Lyford


#510 (Traditional Country) on the Country DDS.

It’s no longer relevant to refer to Jesse Daniel as one of the scrappy up-and-comers helping to revitalize the soul and truth in actual country music. He’s still revitalizing soul and truth in country of course, but he’s no longer the fresh-faced former convict and punk musician using country music as a form of rehabilitation. He’s now an established, mainstay stalwart of the honky tonk touring circuit that you can set your watch and compass to, and that young up-and-comers now see as an influence.

Some question why Jesse Daniel would name his new album after his previously recorded song “Son of the San Lorenzo,” and record the song again. It’s because this album is truly Jesse Daniel. This is his life story transcribed in song, starting at birth, and going until the inevitable end. Though Jesse has always been forthright in sharing intimate details of his life through his songs—including his illicit drug use and incarceration—this is the first time he does so in a mostly complete and nearly linear fashion.

Through this challenge Daniel placed on himself to present his life like a story, it helped bring out the best in his songwriting, infused passion in his delivery, and graced his words with authenticity. Whether you listen stem to stern or select out a specific song, Jesse’s honesty, world earned wisdom, and sweat equity into self-improvement shines through in the songs. Son of the San Lorenzo is like a concept record with Jesse Daniel as the central character.

Each song represents a season of Jesse Daniel’s life, or a significant aspect to his story, from the opening song “Child is Born,” to the concluding track “The End.” In between he chronicles his embrace of sobriety, his appreciation for his partner/bandmate/frequent co-writer Jodi Lyford, and makes ample references to the Santa Cruz Mountains of California where he was raised. In the middle, the album’s songs don’t always follow a linear storyline. But they are always personal.

But just as much as this album is autobiographical, it’s also aspirational in how Jesse projects his life out into the future, and what he wants for himself and his career. Believing he’s still has upside potential out there to seize, he sings “My Time Is Gonna Come.” Though currently based in Texas, he signals the desire to eventually return to where he started in “Mountain Home.”


Carefully crafted songwriting usually not captured in honky tonk songs presents itself regularly on this album. The song “He” is a great example of this, where Jesse presents a reflective perspective, going back in time to offer advice to his younger self that he would have loved to heed at the time.

Acting as his own producer, Jesse Daniel did not settle for the conventional approach to the music of the album. Though this is definitely still a traditional country/honky tonk record, he brought in interesting textures via backing chorus parts, and other elements that give the album a diverse ’70s aspect, from country to Southern rock influences. Then “Mountain Home” is as about as close as you can get to bluegrass without being bluegrass.

Jesse might be sober, but he always seems to find his most infectious moments when singing about battling addiction. This is true for fan favorite “Soft Spot (For The Hard Stuff).” That’s also true here with the new songs “One’s Too Many,” and “Crankster.” Though Jesse Daniel’s other albums might have some more obvious “hits,” Son of the San Lorenzo feels like his most complete, involved, and thoughtful work overall, and adds to a growing catalog of high caliber country.

The best country music isn’t always just about the here and now. Sometimes it takes months, years, or even generations for the most important aspects of country music to reveal their strength and genius. Just as Jesse Daniel used country music to save his life and get him on the right path, he now uses the songs of Son of the San Lorenzo to project who he wants to be, and where he wants to go in the future.

8.2/10

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Purchase/Stream Son of the San Lorenzo

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