Daisy Jones & The Six started performing in 1965, but just released their debut album “Aurora” this year. How can this be?
It’s because the band isn’t real. Produced by Teddy Price and consisting of fictitious members Daisy Jones (lead vocals), Billy Dunne (vocals), Graham Dunne (guitar), Karen Sirko (keys), Warren Rojia (drums) and Eddie Loving (bass), The Six is a figment of author Taylor Jenkins Reid’s imagination.
Nicole Kowal
Multimedia Editor
But the album is very real. It is based on the book of the same name, which follows the band members from 1965 to 1979 through the rise and eventual demise of their careers. The book is written as a tell-all by an anonymous author, who is revealed later in the book. The group’s last performance is at Soldier Field, where the band mysteriously dissolves.
The novel has been made into a streaming miniseries on Amazon Prime starring Riley Keough as Daisy Jones and Sam Claflin as Billy Dunne. The first episode was released March 3, with nine other episodes being released weekly.
The album “Aurora” showcases the writing of Blake Mills and Tony Berg, along with lyrics written by Reid, who does not consider herself a musician. The album as a whole is exceptional, with the energy of ’70s-era music replicated beautifully throughout. There are a few standout tracks.
The album opens with the title track “Aurora,” which in the book is a song Billy Dunne writes about his wife, Camila Alvarez, the band’s photographer. Keough’s and Claflin’s voices are absolutely perfect together, sending listeners back to the first time they heard a Fleetwood Mac song. It’s a very sweet song and a strong album opener.
Another standout is “Look At Us Now (Honeycomb).” In the book and the TV series, it’s the first single that Daisy Jones & The Six produce together. There’s a reason this song is their first hit. The vocals and production are impeccable. I personally think it’s the best song on the entire album.
The last song that makes this album stand out is “The River.” Keough and Claflin’s vocals bounce off each other to create the most delicate and well-placed harmonics on the whole album. The harmonies are absolutely gorgeous, flowing over each other like the tumultuous rip currents of a river, sucking you into the center and taking you under, leaving you breathless.
There really are no words to describe how much this story and album pull the reader, watcher, and listener into a world of ’70s magic, bringing the nostalgia of a different time.
If you need some magical bliss, give this thing a listen.
