DANE LOUIS

                                                              "Fire" 

                                                              Independent Release

With his debut single “Whiskey Wears Off,” taken from his 2021 EP Heartaches and Harlots, Dane Louis introduced us to a mid-tempo vibe that teetered slightly on the edge of rock and country, in large part because of the built-in gravel of the Iowa native’s raw vocal. 

Maintaining that signature gravelly tilt to his voice, he further blurs those genre lines as he pushes into rock kissed, anathematic territory for his latest, up-tempo driven effort “Fire.” 

With arena rock like shreds thrusting into the licks that the guitars are laying down, your heart races just a little faster through the guitar onslaught of the intro as you immediately perk up an ear to listen.

Louis’ voice is perfectly suited to match this fueled up style as he weaves us through a coming-of-age lyric, focused largely on an edgy female type who discovers who she is when she finally agrees to come along for the all-night party.

Though Louis certainly leans on some of the familiar country-tinged fixtures to describe the atmosphere, such as it being a backwoods party, he also cleverly leans into lines throughout the chorus that intriguingly place comparatives between the fiery burn of whiskey with the desires that naturally develop between two people.

Using the second verse, he perfectly paints descriptive pictures of her stark transformation into a carefree, wild child as she fully embraces who she is, mentioning how she’s drinking Jack Daniels on the rocks, is the type of girl that’s gonna break your heart if you let yourself fall, etc.

With guitars slapping you through the song, and a thumping rhythm section providing several fist pumping moments, Dane Louis delivers a piece that perfectly fits into his energetic live shows, but more importantly, he’s given us something that elevates his game to a new level as he unveils another layer of what he brings to the table.

With most of the Top 40 country stylings of today leaning into heavy pop production elements, Louis refreshingly recalls the early 2010’s era of rock infused country with “Fire,” giving us something that’s bold in his daring to be different as he sets himself just enough outside of the normal comfort zones of today to position him in a lane that could be the defining launch pad into his next chapter. 

(Review Written By: Jeffrey Kurtis)

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