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Reviews
This section is still pretty small. I imagine we'll get some more reviews after the Candle Odyssy concerts though.
CD Of The Week - Revolver Mag, Sydney by Michael Mosely
'This seven track mini album from Mr Hanlon ( who has just returned from a world tour, including some shows with Billy Bragg) is a litle gem. Lyrical themes range from sneaking into the cinema on 'I don't want to pay', to the merits of BETA video recorders on Beta Losers, to falling in love with the local hairdresser on 'She Cuts Hair', a song which makes me think I'm in an episode of the Wonder Years. I'm Paul Pfeiffer and Darren is my best friend, Kevin Arnold. Winnie Cooper would be the girl in the very cleverly written song, whom Darren "prefers to worship from a car". Each one of Dazza's little stories is sung with a sharp tongue, delivering wit and cartoon-like imagery.
My only qualm is that we don't get to hear Darren's equally quick witted between-song banter on this recording. Perhaps next time he can record a few of his famous quotes and stick them in between songs. Or alternatively, I could just keep my production ideas to myself. Either one will do. Different to his live shows, but equally entertaining, Early Days is the kind of record you can glue the repeat button on your cd player for.' 4 1/2 stars out of 5
Review by Matt Fink at Delusions Of Adequacy Website - http://www.adequacy.net
With the Sydney Olympics fading from everyone’s collective memory, Australia can once again return to being primarily known for kangaroos, boomerangs, and Paul Hogan movies. While this is surely the most crude way to sum up a country’s cultural legacy, it’s still true that Australia hasn’t really been known for producing many rock stars. Sure, Nick Cave, Midnight Oil, Silverchair and the Saints achieved varying degrees of musical legacies, but there haven’t been all that many great Australian indie rock stars. Darren Hanlon may change that.
Having been a sideman with the best of the Australian underground rock scene, working with the Simpletons, the Lucksmiths, and the Dearhunters, Hanlon’s solo debut seven-song EP is a fine mix of charming laid-back rockers and smartly literate narratives.
From first listen, Hanlon brings to mind, both vocally and melodically, the stripped down side of Ray Davies' songwriting. The clean solo electric guitar strums of the opening “Title Fight: Heart v Mind” may not feature the biting satire of the former Kinks frontman, but the addition of sweet female vocals and xylophone achieve pop nirvana. That’s not to say that Hanlon isn’t a clever songwriter, flexing his wit in songs about two idealistic lovers who “moved out to the country and opened up a video store” and singing paeans to hairdressers. “Don’t Want to Pay” is a strangely sincere song about the adrenaline rush received through sneaking into movie theaters, made all the stranger with folky undertones provided by banjo and acoustic guitar. Though nowhere near as fey as Belle & Sebastian, most fans of their style probably won’t be too off-put by Hanlon’s picturesque aesthetic.
The big driving groove of “Beta Losers” recalls Elvis Costello when he wasn’t opposed to rocking out, with nice trumpet and trombone wrapped around laments of lost love and buying a poor VCR. Certainly, Hanlon can lay the charm on thick, using rhyme schemes that resemble the romantic quirks of Jonathan Richman in the instantly hummable “She Cuts Hair.” When Hanlon goes for a more serious feel, he hits the target again, with the acoustic guitar, trumpet, viola, and piano filling out the balladry of “Magazine Theory.” Closing out with the down home vibe provided by plucked banjo, Hanlon’s tale of a love-sick songwriter trying to craft the perfect song in “Falling Aeroplanes” leaves one wishing there were a few more songs here.
In the end, where some parallels can be drawn to songwriters with similar stylistic preferences, Hanlon really emerges as his own songwriter. He writes from a distinct and creative point of view and carefully crafts songs in ways few can. So, quit saving up your money for the Crocodile Dundee DVD collection, and pick up Darren Hanlon’s debut.
Review by Justin Murray (Melbourne Writer)
Former Simpleton Darren Hanlon weighs in with his debut solo recording, a delightful seven track acoustic patter that feels more like a lazy Sunday afternoon barbecue sing-along than a full-blown studio release, and is all the more charming because of this. Hanlon fits the Candle bill perfectly, his tunes barely scraping above the sound of bikes riding past outside let alone motorised traffic, and his characters musing on the trials and tribulations of inner urban love with a decidedly quirky eye.
She Cuts Hair sees our protagonist heading for ‘The JeansWest acid wash sale/’Cause I know that she’ll be there/’Cause she cuts hair/And acid wash is what she like to wear/When she cuts hair’. With this sense of humour and modesty pervading both the lyrics and production on Early Days, Hanlon is on to a winner. Beta Losers (previously available in a different version on Banter, a Candle compilation) runs an analogy of love against outmoded technology (‘What’s the difference between dumped and superceded?’—not much, I say), before the rocking outro provides the albums most up tempo moment.
Darren Hanlon is currently touring overseas with Billy Bragg, and it is clear from this album that Bragg knows how to choose his touring mates. Probably the only disappointment here is the fact that the album is only seven tracks long. When you get to the end of it you really just want it to keep going. Oh well. You can’t have everything.
Review from Drum Media by Ross Clelland
Mr Hanlon, having survived his altercation with a live microphone intact, apparently. He still does the conversational chat of a song, in understated style. He rambles through tales of domestic mundanity, getting almost uncomfortably close to the earthy style of one Mr B. Bragg, though the accent is obviously more local, particularly in the two and a bit minutes he spends sneaking into the local cinema (Don’t Want To Pay) and the punny word play of his love for a hairdresser (She Cuts Hair). It’s typically low-key and folkie, and just more nice music from a nice bloke. You know what to expect, and it’s ok.
Time Off (Brisbane) Review by Richard Kwong
Throughout each of seven cuts here, this former Simpletons guitarist sports an undeniable affection for genuinely charming light-weight pop. Check out the delightful heart-melt of ‘Title Fight: Heart v Mind’ or the light hook of ‘Don’t Want To Pay’. Yet while Hanlon apes the likes of Paul Kelly and even Brilly Bragg in his ability to capture an evocative phrase, he’s not proffered a comparable capacity to eke out a killer melody or hook. But these are indeed the earliest of days. The man’s full of promise, so leave the light on.