When it comes to the crème de la crème of guitarists in SA i have always found myself rooting for team Frost rather than team Patlasky. But simply from looking at Dan's latest offering you have to sit up and take notice. Blues rock is making the comeback of the century (luckily for many of us it never died) but this kind of music can definitely be shoved into the mainstream thanks to albums like this one.The album encapsulates a wide range of sounds - serving up everything from Red hot Chilly Peppers to Nirvana. The vocals often take a back seat to his masterful guitar playing, acting more as a supporting instrument to an intense instrumental experience. My attention often wanders and I get swallowed up by the electrifying drumming from Andy Maritz. I adore the additional string arangement (provided by Theo Crouse ) that sneeks in every now and then and adds to the diversity. Lyrically the music often becomes repetitive but in actual fact I don' t mind it. It gives me a chance to simply listen to his raging guitar and let it work its magic all on its own. Theo is once more the master craftsman behind a top class album worthy of much praise. The way theo churns out hit albums, Belville studios is well on its way to becoming our very own Sound City. He captures a full and powerful sound that I am always ecstatic to hear. A welcome break from the watered down "hipster-folk" tunes we have become used to in recent years. Maybe having the opportunity to open for The Boss has given Dan the umph he needed to just push this album to the next level. Everything from the one of a kind album design to the production screams quality and creativity in abundance. Definitely an album to add to your collection!
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Louise Pieterse
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