by Adam Fuhr
I first heard of Dan Mangan when I listened to part of a Polaris Prize sampler last year, but the one song that I heard (Robots) didn't make much of an immediate impact on me - I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be humorous or was just weird. Fast forward about half a year. I'm looking through a stack of records I've never heard of at a local record store, and am taken in by the striking silhouette of a young Queen Elizabeth on a baby blue background. I purchase it on a whim. I took it home and fell in love with the music - the artist was Dan Mangan, and the album was Nice, Nice, Very Nice.
I first heard of Dan Mangan when I listened to part of a Polaris Prize sampler last year, but the one song that I heard (Robots) didn't make much of an immediate impact on me - I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be humorous or was just weird. Fast forward about half a year. I'm looking through a stack of records I've never heard of at a local record store, and am taken in by the striking silhouette of a young Queen Elizabeth on a baby blue background. I purchase it on a whim. I took it home and fell in love with the music - the artist was Dan Mangan, and the album was Nice, Nice, Very Nice.
ARTIST: Dan Mangan
ALBUM: Nice, Nice, Very Nice
DESCRIPTION: Charming singer-songwriter/indie folk
BACKGROUND: A Vancouver native, Dan Mangan has been recording music since 2003, but really only began to be noticed in a major way after his nomination for the 2010 Polaris Prize.
REVIEW: This album is magical. Mangan's lyrical genius and knack for simple melody shine strong throughout this album - which is well and good, but it's his super-awesome rough-but-smooth voice that takes it over the top. The songs are sometimes funny, sometimes melancholy, but always truly honest. This album altered the way that I think about (and write) music - the honesty was shocking and refreshing - and I can't wait for his next album, Oh Fortune, scheduled to come out this September.
FAVORITE TRACKS: Road Regrets, Robots, Sold
FAVORITE TRACKS: Road Regrets, Robots, Sold
- Adam Fuhr
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