The bold painting of our man on the album front cover makes him look as though he would push you through a plate glass window if you got in his way; in truth Bryant is a friendly and loyal man from a fine family background who saves all his aggression and power for his performances.
A gruff but surprisingly tender singer and biting yet melodic guitar wielder, Danny puts his all into his songs and does not care about fashion, whims or fancies – in fact the humanity and accessibility of his material is akin to say, James Taylor or Tracey Chapman in their own fields. You can safely buy this collection as much for the songs as the axe-work and Richard Hammerton’s production again captures the edge that Bryant brings to the stage. As for his inspirations, if you drew a line from Walter Trout to Bob Dylan you would be in the zone and I’d like to see Danny move into Bobby Z’s storytelling field a little more as I am convinced there is a ‘Hurricane’ or ‘Blind Willie McTell’ to come from him in the future.
Highlights of this set are the fine rhythm section punch of opener ‘Best of Me’, a wah-fuzz stomper, the rockin’ piano of ‘Nothing At All’ with a touch of Ronnie Hawkins, the rocker whose group became The Band and the laidback ‘Together Through Life’ which does show Bryant’s softer mood. The title track is maybe boss song here and the guitar sounds sharp and committed. ‘Mystery’ is for those who like The Hoax heavy riff style that Danny sometimes hits. The sinister closer ‘GunTown’ is my own pick with its heavy atmosphere and build – it’s on par with Roadhouse in its cinematic vibe, excellent.
By Pete Sargeant
