Danny Schmidt - Owls
by Mark Rowland
published: 18 / 4 / 2015
Label:
Live Once Records
Format: CD
intro
Evocative but flawed seventh album from Texan-based singer-songwriter, Danny Schmidt
Danny Schmidt is capable of making a very simple arrangement sound huge, as evidenced on ‘Owls’, his seventh album. Schmidt is interested in roots music of all kinds; blues, folk, country and gospel can be heard in Schmidt’s songs. The sound of ‘Owls’ owes something to later alt-country/Americana bands such as Whiskeytown and Drive By Truckers, and to the Californian country/folk/rock of CSN&Y. At its best – ‘Guns & The Crazy Ones’, ‘Bad Year For Cane’, ‘Cries of Shadows’ – Owls is uplifting and transcendent, full of great lyrical imagery and music that makes the most of the limitations of the country and folk genres. Elsewhere, you’ll find slick, very well played, very well constructed songs that make for pleasant listening, but aren’t particularly exciting. Still, Schmidt is capable of creating a great dusty, sun-bleached drama in his songs, as evidenced in opener ‘Girl With Lantern Eyes’, and the fantastic ‘Soon the Earth Shall Swallow’ which flits between a great barroom shuffle and gentle and gentle pastoral folk without jarring.
Track Listing:-
1 Girl With Lantern Eyes2 Guns & the Crazy Ones
3 Soon the Earth Shall Swallow
4 Faith Will Always Rise
5 Bad Year for Cane
6 Looks Like God
7 Cries of Shadows
8 All the More to Wonder
9 Cry On the Flowers
10 Paper Cranes
11 Wings of No Restraint
Band Links:-
https://www.facebook.com/dannyschmidtmusichttps://twitter.com/dannyschmidt
https://plus.google.com/+DannySchmidtMusic/posts
Label Links:-
http://www.last.fm/label/Live+Once+Recordssoundcloud
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeyIn Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Simon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
Secret Shine - Interview
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Flaming Stars - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadIan Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Kula Shaker - Natural Magick
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart