To look at him you wouldn’t guess but both pure blues and punk rock courses through DAN SMOLLA’s veins. ‘Sky Of My Mind’ is his fourth album of songs all written, played and produced by himself.
‘Sky OF My Mind’ is decidedly rough and ready but his songs most definitely are not. In fact DAN is a very talented song-writer, capable of turning his artist’s hand to a number of styles but still managing to place his personality at the heart of each track. Witness second track ‘Joe Strummer’ on which DAN captures the spirit of the great man musically, vocally and sentimentally yet succeeds in creating an homage rather than a pastiche. Strummer, The Beach Boys and Van Morrison somehow conjoin on ‘One Love’. Elsewhere Paul Westerberg makes an appearance (See You) and Dylan (Mary Lou). The musical ideas alone on the last track ‘In The Flow’ put the combined contents of most albums to shame.
|
Like Steve Earle he is also highly politicised but crucially avoids any grandstanding or tub-thumping. In short, DAN SMOLLA may have a look to forget but his is a name to remember.
|
