Labels: Burning Building Records
Review by: Andy Malcolm
There is an awful lot of workmanlike music out there. Guess there always has been. Just a few guys with guitars, making music because that’s what they do. Doesn’t matter if no-one ever hears it, or if hometown love never translates into more widespread acclaim. That’s not really why these bands do their thing. Daniel G. Harmann has made six LPs it says here. Six! Most bands struggle to even practice together that many times. The music is under-stated, by turns soft and warming and then having outbursts of slightly louder but certainly not particularly aggressive guitars. It suits a Sunday where nothing of note will happen. Although the album is all about taking chances, I certainly will not be doing that today, stuck indoors, grey skies keeping light at bay from my front room. And it’s already 11.33am, I woke up 4 and a half hours ago and I am aghast to find how far along the day has progressed.
This album charts a solid course for it’s 11 songs and 45 minutes. It never really makes me sit up and pay close attention, but neither am I moved to skip anything. This is straight forward indie rock, dealing in the quiet and the loud as so many records have done for the past 20 years. The press release lists the Appleseed Cast as a comparison, and I won’t really disagree with that, given the penchance for occasional post-rock guitar FX and swirls. However, I think that with a different singer, I would be into this a bit more, as Mr. Harmann is quite high pitched and right at the forefront. No question he is a good singer, but this just isn’t my style of vocals. I’m left thinking that an album about taking chances could stand to do exactly that when it comes to the music, but not to worry. This is a cohesive record, where the band has nailed what they are going for, and this should appeal to more people than will probably get to hear it. That what they are going for isn’t necessarily the kind of music that I listen to isn’t their problem, and I am sure Mr. Harmann will continue to make good records for some time to come.