You have likely heard this man’s voice – Dan provided the George Clooney singing parts to the tongue in cheek country comedy film ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ This new album gives a vivid sampling of his art, his composing talents and his approach to life, the world today and all its tensions.

Produced by Jesse Frasure, the collection draws upon a range of sounds and timbres. So let’s press play…

Southern Gothic lopes into earshot, a dense mix of sounds from the undergrowth at dusk, talk of bibles and weaponry. It also hypnotically catchy, the vocal is sandpapered, seasoned and well-keyed. If you dig Jason Isbell, Rodney Crowell, Leon Russell you should hear this man. This really does have extraordinary depth.

On to Breathing Fire which has a lighter patter of a beat and impassioned singing, touching on religion again. Guilt, straying, doubt..all possible by-products of the fervour of belief. But as an atheist I am well clear of such problems, having enough from other spheres. The full-blooded sound does carry the lyric well. Gone uses a soft tempo with runs of syncopation. A romantic dilemma forcefully described. I like the drawing the sensitivity of the situation, which boils down to loss. Throws quite a punch as it grows, this number. Next up is Temporary Love – ain’t it always? sighs each broken soul – on a stealthy signature, handclaps and all. And cool strings which stay in the low register to avoid sweetening the composition..I assume.

Perfect Poison mines a downhome slide guitar ambience and my that voice soars. He gets the keys right, it must be said. The price of lust illustrated with melodic aplomb. Devil Is Downtown has a deliberate tread of a setting and has maybe the best vocal here. I thought Satan was on a Florida golf course most of the time…

Hollow Hallelujah starts polyrhythmic and celebrates friendships hanging on amidst a tale of confusion. Good For Your Soul skips along with a porch vibe, very tuneful vocal and somehow puts me in mind of Lady Antebellum or even Train. Wailing Wall is a superior song, even in this programme and definitely my pick here, again an infectious chorus. Haunted Heart goes for a sombre starkness and a lyric of some urgency. Bloodline sounds like it’s emerging from a slide jam. A song about his father and already sounds like a stage favourite / single to these ears. Wanted has a purposeful impact and is another key tune on this collection. Matters come to an end with Numb which is a shadowy lament based on regret.

So…songs that stay with the listener, a rich characterful voice and a hypnotic dark ensemble sound. My only carp is that there is an absence of instrumental solo’s which would have enhanced the tunes and added a large slice of listenability. That aside, this is a durable collection, untainted by fashion or gimmicks.

Pete Sargeant