7/10

Since the release of his highly-praised sophomore album 'Emerging Adulthood' in 2017, a lot has changed for the singer and songwriter Dan Croll. While always feeling like a strong and devout anglican individual for most of his life, the frontman recently took the plunge with both his professional and personal life by moving to Los Angeles in pursuit of something new and more inspiring. And while it wasn't always what he expected, it did give him enough life experiences to write his next studio album 'Grand Plan', which chronicles his time in one of America's most vibrant cities.

While the record is ultimately about new beginnings and finding yourself for the first time, Dan has effectively taken on a very nostalgic and bygone aesthetic to create his new full-length. With a distinctly 60s and 70s angle to much of the material on his new collection, 'Grand Plan' is one of those releases that is about looking back on events in your life, rose-tinted or otherwise. Although it sticks to a very personal narrative for the man at the helm, just hearing these songs gives them an instantly recognisable feel, showing that while these are stories about his life, we feel like we have all experienced something similar as well.

From the very start, 'Grand Plan' sets itself on a solid and driven journey through the mind of Dan Croll, offering up every seismic moment of his first year in Los Angeles. But the way he can relate each tale to the listener, almost inviting them to join with the story, creates a far more engaging and captivating listen than most and allows us to fully embrace his latest material.