Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Romano is not only a throw back to yesteryear with his style of pedal steel guitar loaded old-fashioned country, but a good one to boot. He is also quite a showman caught live. A top-class entertainer; the kind who makes songwriting seem so easy, his songs are simple, but at the same time wonderfully clever (and witty), and with tight as they come set of players in support If I’ve Only One Time Askin’ is a mighty fine record. One you can’t help but feel the need to tap your feet on infectious melody doused “Two Word Joe”, and smile ear-to-ear at his story about poor Joe and a love destined to fail. His love of two different women at different times; one who desired riches when he was content to be a poor preacher, and another who felt she reached the stage in life when she had no need for glitter (after the first failure he had changed his lifestyle to that of the highlife) and gold so she ran off with a man from Buffalo to work with the poor make up this gem of a song.
Romano is country with a capitol ‘C’ and a swagger to carry it off and though not all songs are keepers, there are enough simmering love ballads here to fill most people’s plate, and possibly to overflowing. Especially when you take into consideration the likes of steel guitar and accordion loaded “Strange Faces” and with hints of Gram Parsons in his vocals, “All The Way Under The Hill” and melancholy ode “There’s A Hardship”. Plus the neatly penned title-cut “If I’ve Only One Time Askin’. He even makes room for a country oldie in “Learning To Do Without Me” (Dennis Kutson, Buck Moore, AL ‘Doodle’ Owens); a good song (and album) to check-out, from a man who I feel is only going to get better!
Maurice Hope