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Those who stumbled across the trailer for 'A Family Movie' - a 2006 film about the ongoing multi limbed
sprawl known as 'Danielson Famile' would have seen leader Daniel Smith performing in front of baffled
onlookers dressed as a tree. They would have also been aware of the slightly disarming religious undertones to
their fantastic music which, to be fair, like that of collaborator Sufjan Stevens you can choose to ignore.
Stevens features strongly on this latest opus plucking away at his banjo but several of the old 'Famile' have
since disappeared which is a great shame as their is something lacking in this record that was present before.
An unforced craziness and a sense of 'oomph' that propelled their high water mark 'Ships' to majestic greatness
is replaced by a more pastoral longing and lengthy semi improvised interludes. Given repeated plays though, this album reveals plenty of hidden depths as well as a handful of fantastic songs that sit somewhere between Frank Black and The Cardiacs. Ol' squeaker Smith's shrieks are still going to be an acquired taste but when he is not there as on the godawful 'Lil Norge' the band seem to temporarily turn into The Moldy Peaches. Thankfully its not for long and we are back in Smiths madcap world of musical invention.
5 years. A very long time in popular music. And yet 5 years is the time it took Daniel Christopher Smith, a.k.a. Brother Danielson, a.k.a. Danielson, to complete this his newest work. In a way, Danielson has, during the 5 years, let go (reluctantly, perhaps) of some family collaboratorsnamely his brothers Andrew and David, the percussionists, and childhood friends Chris and Ted, on keys and bass/guitar respectively. While sisters Megan and Rachel and Daniels wife Elin, the essential chorus for many a Danielson Famile song, still appear, the bulk of Best of Gloucester County revolves around a completely new "team," as Smith has put it himself (Patrick Berkery- drums, percussion; Evan Mazunik- piano, organ; Joshua Stamper- bass; Sufjan Stevens- banjo, vocal; Andrew Wilson- electric guitar. That means that Best of Gloucester County is not, despite the title, a retrospective Best of album (that would be Trying Hartz, the last Danielson-related release), but rather a statement of intention. Danielson is now a locally-owned and locally-ambitious entity, and, in this case, a locally-released (Gloucester County) album, since this is the first Danielson release on Daniel Smith's own Sounds Familyre label in the US. Seizing the means of production! With the result that here is a genuine attempt to dazzle! The tracks are thoroughly arranged (with bass player Joshua Stamper creating some great horn charts), and the rhythm section (which, in the past, was charming and lovely) sounds more like a rock and roll rhythm section than ever before, and the addition of an electric guitar player throughout means that the interplay between guitars, and the relationship between guitar and keys and glockenspiel, is quite a bit more dramatic, more cinematic. The whole represents a new and welcome chapter in the Danielson oeuvrea startlingly effective new band, produced with more sonic ambition than any recent Danielson effort, but without sacrificing the brave interior journey that we have come to expect from Daniel Christopher Smith.
1. Complimentary Dismemberment Insurance
2. This Day Is A Loaf
3. Grow Up
4. Lil Norge
5. But I Don't Wanna Sing About Guitars
6. People's Partay
7. Olympic Portions
8. You Sleep Good Now
9. Hovering Above That Hill
10. Denominator Bluise
11. Hosanna In The Forest
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Norman Records,
Unit 20, Croydon House,
Croydon Street,
Leeds,
LS11 9RT, UK.
Tel/fax: (+44) 0113 245 4399
Email: phil@normanrecords.com
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