Reviews

Artist:Danny George Wilson
Album: Another Place
Label: Loose
Tracks: 10
Website: https://www.dannygeorgewilson.com

"Eclecticism: the practice of deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources." A word and definition that could have been created purely to describe Another Place, the second solo, and latest, release from Danny George Wilson (Bennett Wilson Poole, Danny & The Champions Of The World, Grand Drive).

In many respects, an altogether radical departure from his previous work, Danny admits that much of the inspiration has been gleaned from experiences and events emanating from Lewes' Union Music Store, which he has co-owned since 2018, indeed I well remember being there when the announcement was made public on Record Store Day of that year. This exposure included not only widening musical horizons to include jazz and Kanky? Ongaku, thanks to co-owner Del Day, but also, vitally for this record, an introduction to a young Sussex-based producer, and son of local Lewes luthier, Hamish Benjamin.

Danny visited Hamish's Somewhere Studios, recorded two basic tracks, just vocals and acoustic guitar, for what are the album's openers and over the course of a few days Hamish completed the tracks, retaining the vocals and utilising the talents and assistance of Henry Garratt as multi-instrumentalist and arranger, with Iain Sloan also contributing pedal steel guitar. And what amazing transformations were made. It's almost as if Hamish and Henry have been able to peel away layers of Danny's hitherto soulful song-writing and vocals and distil them into an altogether more potent and grittier sound, with added electronic jiggery-pokery to boot.

Permeating the former of these two tracks, 'Lost Future', originally worked up with The Champs and now perhaps relevant as a response to our current on-going Covid situation with its 'And you're searching for a lost future, Searching for a lost future', is the slightly unnerving sound of what transpires is a sample of bowed cymbal, stretched and reversed, whilst 'Sincerely Hoping', beginning, and later interspersed with, woozy Wurlitzer, is a co-write with Will Birch, stylistically gives some semblance to earlier work, but appears edgier.

It would appear that when he heard these polished productions, which were far removed from anything he would have previously contemplated, Danny was not only bowled over, but also motivated to carry on. The relinquishing of oversight of significant aspects of the creative process to others and the subsequent taking on-board of their ideas was not only brave, but potently emancipating for him. It also stimulated a change of direction in terms of his song-writing. Eschewing a more narrative-based, oft country-song style, here "lyrics are more oblique with their power resting in echoes and correspondences, internal rhyme, and repetition, rather than in the tales they tell"

The raft of self-written songs which make up most of the remainder of the album showcase what a talented song-writer Danny is, regardless of style. The languid 'I Wanna Tell You', starting with electronic sounding background beats, dramatic piano chords and runs, suddenly explodes in a single moment of jarring dissonance before returning to the slow-moving, unhurried, almost haunting, mood, and is unlike anything from Danny that I can recall, but it works so well. 'Heaven For Hiding' the second single taken from the album, with its frisky, laid-back feel, strong drum-beats and chugging organ, replete with electronic bleeps and bloops, cannot fail but bring a smile to the face.

'Can You Feel Me?', with its tongue-in-cheek, impish opening line, "I'm so vain I'll probably write this song about me", is infectious in the extreme, with its jingly-jangly guitar melody, but just as one is getting comfortable with this west-coast vibe, at two minutes in, the senses are temporarily rocked by the gradual cacophonous introduction of effects sounding like a cross between wind and white noise. A similar technique is employed on the following song 'Right Place', the initial gentle piano, Danny's vocal, here sounding Neil Young-like, underlaid, given careful listening, by other faint, electronic sounds, builds with wonderful electric guitar, again punctuated by 'sounds', albeit more gentle, think Tonto's Expanding Headband. The heavy, fuzzy guitar and steel-led 'Giving Away Too Much', with its intense, almost muddy, (compliment intended), production delivers on an industrial scale.

The choice of the two covers is both inspirational and revelatory. Firstly, the version of 'We've Got A Lot To Learn' the opening track on Spirit's fine LP 'The Adventures of Kaptain Kopter & Commander Cassidy in Potato Land', is nothing short of magnificent. With Gerry Love, (Teenage Fanclub), adding backing vocals, it is the soaring, melodic guitar solo from guest Jeff Tweedy, (Wilco), which raises the bar to give the track a 10/10. This is followed by an equally impressive version of 'I Would Be In Love (Anyway)', the track which closes side one of Frank Sinatra's 1970 'Watertown' LP. Enhanced by another guest, Emma Swift, this melodic ballad sees her vocals blending mellifluously with those of Danny.

This song ripples seamlessly into the final track. 'In Between Love', a gorgeous, lilting piece, reminiscent of Jess Roden, with the faintly oriental segments spasmodically occurring throughout receiving a final 'Hamish twist' as they reappear and intensify into a final discord at the end of the song.

The new horizons visited on this album might not be to the liking of those who are averse to change, but I know which side of the fence I am on. Danny is to be applauded for his bold experimentation and giving us all the opportunity to visit Another Place, a fine album worthy of attention. Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I look forward to further developments by way of a Babe Ruth cover on his next release.

David Pratt

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