What many see as the band of our dreams, the cast of “Daisy Jones & The Six” made their debut to the world with “Aurora,” the album from a fictional band that broke up at the height of their fame.
Set in 1977, both the book and new show follow the past and present story of a ‘70s rock band that details their successful rise and fall and the drama behind the scenes no one knew about. Written by Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” and “Malibu Rising,” the 2019 New York Times bestseller has sold more than 1 million copies of the e-book version and touched the musical hearts of fans worldwide.
What makes this album so special is knowing that the TV cast members are singing and playing the instruments, adding this extra layer of dedication that is prevalent throughout the project.
The cast released “Regret Me” as their first single on Jan. 25, with “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” following on Feb. 15. Both of the songs are direct references to actual songs in the book, but they have different lyrics and sounds than what was written by Reid.
The smooth vocals of Riley Keough’s Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin’s Billy Dunne on “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)” is pop perfection. There’s a steady incline to the bridge that builds before we hit the stunning guitar solo by Will Harrison’s Graham Dunne, heavily inspired by Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.”
If you’re an ‘80s fan like me, you’ll enjoy “Regret Me,” as it has a country rock feel to it and reminds me of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.”
The music on the album samples various artists and features several instrumentalists that have worked with artists like Elton John, David Bowie and The Wallflowers. Indie rock musician Phoebe Bridgers is credited to have worked on “Aurora,” alongside record producer Tony Berg, who is known as an industry guru.
As someone who read the book, the album is just as I pictured it to be. It feels like the cast and producers traveled back in time to give us that specific sound that can only be found in ‘70s music, which “Aurora” perfectly encapsulates.
Already earning #1 on US iTunes within a few hours of its initial release, it is a beautiful album that does not disappoint. While it occasionally has this rock ‘n’ roll sound that the book describes the band having, the pop-rock influences of Fleetwood Mac lie within the album and paint an ugly picture of love, loss, regret and writing your own story in life. Every song is roughly between 4-5 minutes long, which is one of the main reasons why this is easily my favorite album of 2023 so far.
Every song shares another piece of the band’s story, which we’ll eventually see in the show, but there were a few songs that stood out amongst the rest. Billy’s “Please” in comparison to Daisy’s “More Fun To Miss” sound like they’re direct responses to one another. Billy pleads in his song, stating he has a family to love and protect and to stay away from temptation. The song perfectly describes his relationship with any sort of temptation in his life, whether it be drugs and alcohol or his hidden feelings for Daisy.
On the other side, “More Fun To Miss” has been compared to the book’s “Impossible Woman,” where Daisy sings about her feelings towards Billy and almost falling in love at the wrong time, while still enjoying the early stages of a budding relationship.
After listening through the album, it’s no secret that this cast is a powerhouse. Once you listen to “Aurora,” you’ll immediately wish that Daisy Jones & The Six was a real band.
The album serves as the main drive for the show, but as a standalone, it is a work of lyrical genius, and I’m so excited to see how each of the songs will be “written” in the show. While every song off the album is different in its own way, it sticks with the theme of reconciling with a love you’ll never have and how an explosive relationship can erupt at any moment.
5/5 Stars
rarchibe@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Itstillpix, Instagram
