I Mean to Live Here Still

Released in 2010, 'I Mean to Live Here Still' represents a thematic and sonic peak for David Karsten Daniels. The album is a song cycle based on the writings of Henry David Thoreau, specifically drawing from his journals and 'Walden'. Moving away from the more experimental, sometimes abrasive textures of his earlier work like 'Fear of Flying', this record embraces a refined chamber folk aesthetic. The production is characterized by its use of a large ensemble of woodwinds and strings, arranged with a composer's ear for counterpoint and timbre. Recorded with a focus on natural resonance, the album captures a sense of physical space, often sounding as though it were performed in a wooden hall or a secluded cabin. Critically, it was praised for its ambitious scope and the seamless way it integrated 19th-century transcendentalist philosophy into a contemporary indie-folk framework. It stands as a definitive document of the 'chamber folk' movement of the late 2000s and early 2010s.