You've never heard of Daniel Martin Moore, from Cold Spring, Kentucky. That's okay. Before we got his unsolicited demo in January 2007, neither had we. The first thing you'll notice about his debut, Stray Age is its simplicity. It's a folk record, evoking certain feelings (as all good records should), but there's a gentle approach to its sound and the way Moore's voice phrases his words. Joe Chiccarelli (The Shins, U2, The White Stripes) took on co-production, recording and mixing duties on the album. Justin Meldal-Johnsen (Beck, Tori Amos) played upright bass and Petra Haden (Bill Frisell, Beck) adds violin to "It's You," "The Hour Of Sleep," and "The Old Measure." The insights in "Stray Age" are not secrets and would never hope to be. "Stray Age" is rich with understated complexities that take you to places that people like Nick Drake and Neil Halstead have been cited as doing. There's a soft swing in the vocals reminiscent of Chet Baker. But the one thing with Moore, that we like to think of as separating him from the pack, is he's looking forward. He wants to go places, he wants you to come with him, and we're finding him right in that moment.