Born Soon - Trajectories

​Born Soon

Trajectories
​self-released; 2022

By J. J. Thayer

Born Soon is Philadelphia-based Dan Semenza’s solo project. Trajectories, a five-song EP, is his debut release.

The songs are piano- and guitar-driven, and fall into the indie/rock canon. Trajectories brings straight-ahead drums and melodic bass, keyboard layers and a fine helping of varied guitar tones, all set off by Semenza’s rich rock baritone. Like a favorite old sweater, this won’t set a new fashion trend, but it sure is comforting to pull on and wrap around yourself.

That old sweater can help you contemplate, as Semenza does through his lyrics. He touches on some weighty topics, including death of a loved one, figuring out his place in the world, and the impending birth of his son. These are deeply personal topics, but the lyrics are abstract enough to allow each listener to connect and relate in his own way.

And sometimes, in that old sweater, you find a scrap of something in a pocket that brings back good memories. “Ruiner” has a stick-to-you chorus to go with its chunka-chunka electric guitar and a good electronica-influenced bridge with dextrous bass work. The piano support on the chorus of “Day Ghost” is a nice touch of arrangement and production. On “So Fast, So Slow” the keyboard washes contrast nicely with the sharper clean-guitar tones, and Semenza has nice heart-tugging sustained chords on the solid breakdown section.

You might find a small hole in the sweater, too. There’s just one small tear in Trajectories, on “Monsters.” It’s a lovely acoustic lullaby with nice string parts and soft piano support most of the way. As the song approaches its end, the piano chords turn to crashing, and it’s a bit much for the lightness of the arrangement.

​The plaintive acoustic ballad “April” closes the set, with Semenza singing, “I’m just searching for a little peace of mind.”.Hopefully Trajectories has helped him (and us) get a little closer. At least we have a nice cozy wrap to help us as we walk forward.

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