Dan Wilde
Album: With Fire In Mind
Label: Bob Presents
Tracks: 10
Website: http://www.danwilde.net

One of the dominating features of Dan Wilde's song writing is his ability to mix metaphor with shrewd observation. When you hear songs starting with lines like, "You Are A Fire, I am a can of gasoline. I don't know if I should really be alone with you," you know that you're listening to an artist that has a great ability for expression, as well as a good excuse to call an album "With Fire In Mind".

Dan Wilde has a way with words and sets them into an album that kicks around in the space with American, folk and acoustic pop share a decent amount of common ground, often giving the songs a lightness that belies the emotional depth of the content.

It leads to a provocative juxtaposition, extremely strong and confident songwriting about angsty almost nervous emotional entanglements. Not all songs are just about setting off on emotional journeys; there are other aspects on the road to life to be covered. "Previous Experience", for example covers that wide aspect of trying to move forward, whilst having all the tools, but no practical application in using them.

You get the feeling that a lot of Dan's material has that personal experience to it, though maybe not directly, but also through the likes of family and friends, it does have that homespun aspect to it, to use that hated word, it feels real, even when wrapped up in the poetry of his writing.

"With Fire In Mind" is a great listening experience, plenty of observations and enough hooks to pull you in to form opinions, not only on the songs themselves, but also the events that Dan Wilde is opening up for you and that, ultimately, is what good songwriting is all about.

Neil King