IN REVIEW: Dan Mangan - "More or Less"

Dan Mangan's fifth album draws influence from a wide variety of sources, but perhaps none more so than family life. The father of two strips some of his arrangements back on More or Less, leaving many songs to stand on a bare frame; at times, the results feel a little slight (as in the very hushed but otherwise fine Lay Low), but more often than not this approach allows for direct, honest and starkly charming songs.

"Simple and effective" isn't the entire name of the game (although sparsely arranged tracks like Just Fear and Which Is It are very, very effective); by times, more sound creeps into the proceedings, calling to mind Radiohead at their turn-of-the-century electro-renegade best (Peaks & Valleys, Can't Not and Never Quiet wear this particular influence most plainly). Perhaps the album's most thrilling section, however, is its midpoint; Cold in the Summer rides an easy groove and a bright melody down Father John Misty Avenue, while Troubled Mind, a swift and timely rocker that's a showcase for Mangan's voice and knack for hooks, absolutely bursts from the speakers. The trifecta of near sonic perfection concludes with Fool for Waiting, a piano-punctuated ballad that's heartfelt and stunning.

Though some will no doubt hope that it had a bit more spring in its step, More or Less acts as an accurate snapshot of Canadian life; there's solitude, darkness and tension, but also hope, honesty and lots of open space. It's a genuine record, and one that should cement Dan Mangan as one of this country's most revered singer/songwriters.

November 2, 2018 • Arts & Crafts
Highlights Just Fear • Troubled Mind • Fool for Waiting

Comments

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2011 Nominee: Sam Roberts Band

SAM ROBERTS BAND I Feel You From: Collider Released: May 10 Having already endured the breakout success ( Brother Down was Canada's it rock song of 2002), the tentative dabbling in the U.S. market, as is the rite of passage for all moderately successful Canuck artists (2003's debut We Were Born in a Flame was the best time to try; one of the best albums of the year, it made a small dent in the American mindset upon its release there a year later), the difficult, druggy third album (the aptly named 2005 disc Chemical City ), and the subdued creative step backward (2008's Love at the End of the World , aside from hit single Them Kids , was really kinda bland), it seems according to script that Sam Roberts would start settling in on his fourth album (and first with the band credited as equal contributors), Collider (you know, I think it was a bad idea to give me brackets). Well, as far as settling in goes, Roberts does and doesn't on Collider . W...

IN REVIEW: Rancid - "Trouble Maker"

As far as punk rock goes, it's hard to name a hotter hot streak than the trio of records Rancid cranked out between 1995 and 2000; the star making ...And Out Come the Wolves , the far-reaching Life Won't Wait and their balls-to-the-wall second self-titled album solidly positioned Rancid as leaders of the second generation of punk. It also preceded a period of slow progression, as Rancid would take eleven years to release their next three records. By the time ...Honor Is All We Know came in 2014, many fans (myself included) had to wonder whether or not this was the end of the road. Such concerns are handily dealt with on the closing track of the standard edition of their ninth record, the positively punishing This Is Not the End . Well, okay then, that's sorted. Now, what of this new record? What do we make of the use of their original logo on the cover, a logo that hasn't graced a Rancid record in 25 years? Is this a throwback to the band's heyday, a new begin...

SOUND BITES

Search This Blog