T.O.L.D., short for The Order of Life and Death, is the musical project of Daniel James Smith, a British musician now based in Los Angeles. The name of Smiths’ project comes from Gustav Klimt’s painting Life and Death, something he was exposed to as a teenager.
Having initially experimented with music and self-releasing his own material in London, in 2014 Smith moved the the US and started working as T.O.L.D., with early releases including production credits from GusGus’ Birgir Þórarinsson. Following a debut album, It’s Not About The Witches, back in 2016 and last year he was announced as one of the BBC’s Introducing Artists of 2019.
Drink The Water is a meditative piece of indie gospel, with synths that would feel at home in a John Hughes movie but a slow, vocal chorus that creates a stark, contemplative feeling. Smith cites Bon Iver, Animal Collective and Brian Eno as influencers on the sound, but I can also hear TV On The Radio’s baritone soul here.
The song itself is a literal ode to water and sun. Having grown up in an English town famous for its spring water, Smith would at times marvel at the feeling something as simple, as abundant, as water could give. On darker days, when Smith felt depressed, he was drink gallons of the water:
“The freshest and best source of it on the planet under my feet. I craved the sun and when it finally came back, this song poured out of me.”