Danielson - Trying Hartz

Gospel-turned-folk-turnedgospel- again anthology

No, that’s misleading but, if you were to believe the press release of this Danielson anthology, which spans the first 10 years of this New Jersey one-man band’s ever-changing oeuvre, you’d never be able to define his sound.

Two discs is a lot to take in but, for beginners, this might just be the best place to start in uncovering the real Daniel Smith (he goes by many, many names). His “sound” is actually rather feminine – irritatingly screechy and reedy at first, backed by the kind of kitchen sink approach to songwriting that has reaped rewards for the likes of Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree (and, earlier especially, Bongwater). But when he plays at a slower pace (and more vocally “lowdown”), this guy can sure write a tune. At points the Frank Black in him leaps out and, more often than not, his songs are equally inventive – evoking, unsurprisingly, The Pixies at their most playful.

So a lot of these 28 tracks get skipped – too annoying, too twee, too ramshackle (in a bad way). But conversely, Body English, Now Try and the beautiful Jersey Loverboy will get plenty of repeats. Now, let’s see about those other incarnations. This could be a fun voyage…

3 stars 3 stars 3 stars

Secretly Canadian | SC 180 (2-CD)

Reviewed by Jake Kennedy
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