The Daily Spin II

David Dallas | Falling Into Place

Welcome back to the Daily Spin. For the uninitiated, this is the series in which I review an album every day of 2025.

As was the case two years ago, my favorite song from each album can be found at the playlist linked here.

Album: Falling Into Place (2013)

Artist: David Dallas

Link:

Somewhere between braggadocious and somber, Falling Into Place is a remarkable window into the life of New Zealand’s David Dallas, a rapper come into his own on his third record.

At his very best, you get the outstanding blues-infused chest-beating anthems - ‘Runnin’ most apparent of those, what with its features on FIFA’s soundtrack (as all great songs are) and consistent presence for a little while in sporting networks the world over. It’s a great little story told through brilliant production - sparse percussion under that deliciously slick fare, and Dallas at his best, working his way like a boxer through his routines, jab-jab-cut til the going gets done.

Too frequently, though, the production and sampling here just isn’t it. Dallas first hit my radar two ways almost at the exact same time - the first, via FIFA 14’s impeccable soundtrack; the second, this ridiculously good track utilizing Ratatat’s ‘Loud Pipes’ as a sampler - and with that, establishing in my head that he really knew his way around the art of picking and choosing, a la the Avalanches - and yet, his work here with producers Fire & Ice more often than not leaves me feeling cold.

Rating: 7/10

Best Tracks: Runnin’

Worst Tracks: One More