Workin' For the Music Man - Daniel Romano

Workin’ For the Music Man

Daniel Romano
You’ve Changed Records.

SCQ Rating: 79%

Although one needs to look no further than Attack In Black to admire the songwriting of Daniel Romano, a more apt reference point lies in 2009’s ode-to-folk Daniel, Fred & Julie. While reworking some acoustic classics alongside Fred Squire and Julie Doiron, Romano tossed a few originals that flowed so effortlessly into the mix, you’d be forgiven for thinking ‘The Runner’ or ‘Your Love’ belonged to the same cherished legacy as (Oh My Darling) ‘Clementine’. Romano played a critical role in that collection’s success and brings that same rootsy confidence to his first solo full-length.

As with Daniel, Fred & Julie, Romano seeks inspiration by looking to the past on Workin’ For the Music Man, gathering new material and session-players while foregoing the previous collaboration’s strict mono-only recording rule. Featuring contributions from the songwriter’s family and loved ones, the disc splits between whiskey-worn country-blues and bare-boned folk, utilizing full-band rowdiness or a lonesome, finger-picked six-string. Album highlights stem from both patches; ‘On the Night’ gives gracious nods to good decisions (namely, the expert fiddle-playing, his girlfriend Mischa's lovely vocals) and breathes fresh life into country’s carved-up bar-booths while ‘She Was the World To Me’ rests heavily upon Romano’s gut-wrenching vocals and a guitar, alone. The variety of songwriting feels wide-ranging - a few even sound as if they were recorded live, although you’d never guess before the crowd starts clapping - but all of Workin’ For the Music Man is painted with the same grit of authentic classics by Hank Williams, Springsteen and Petty.

Lighthearted as the mood of its recording comes off, Workin’ For the Music Man suffers slightly for its ease with the odd track too merry and boisterous to reward repeat listens (the organ-heavy ‘Poor Girls of Ontario’, the opening title track). At their worst, these rare slips sound like well-arranged sketches but, to give credit where it’s due, they also keep the pace breezy and unpredictable. And maybe they just require more listening-time; really, despite its casual, off-the-cuff impression, Workin’ For the Music Man has continued to win me over, boasting songwriting rich with surprises and moments that’ll cut you when you least expect it. As surely as we’ve yet to see the limits of Daniel Romano’s talent, I’ve yet to wear out the good company imparted in Workin’ For the Music Man.

Years (By One Thousand Fingertips) - Attack in Black

Years (By One Thousand Fingertips)

Attack in Black
Dinealone Records.

SCQ Rating: 85%

About thirteen months ago my prejudices against Attack in Black suffered a major setback at the hands of The Curve of the Earth; a vinyl-only excursion into four-track folk songs recorded over two days in their hometown of Welland Ontario. My review of said album coarsely explored the admiration and hesitation I was struggling to decide between, and while that recording has indeed survived the test of time, I treated Attack in Black like any hung jury would: with suspicion. I mean, if that wonderful vinyl was simply some playful aside before indulging further in radio-rock’s bland flavour-of-the-month contest, SCQ wasn’t about to jump the gun and celebrate The Curve of the Earth as the dawning of a fresh, new Canadian talent. With the release of Years (By One Thousand Fingertips), I can do just that.

For those of you curious about Attack in Black’s current frame of mind, be it Marriage’s ferocious punk-rock or more aforementioned lo-fi folk, Years carries the latter’s approach but largely splits the difference. ‘Leaving Your Death in a Flowerbed’ awakens from the band’s slow slumber (a pretty stillness since 2007’s aggressive debut) and displays their new approach brilliantly; the guitars are revved with ample distortion, their vocals calm but emotive nonetheless. Despite lacking high-tech studio wizardry or audio-pyrotechnics, Attack in Black have presence… and their disinterest in polishing the package makes the results all the more engaging. Renewed energy is peppered throughout the record, as on the electric crunch of ‘Birmingham’ or the irresistible rock-hooks of ‘I’m a Rock’. While these upbeat compositions lack the predictable punk-isms of the 00’s – namely attitude and a fair share of screaming – I credit Years with a true punk flair. Rarely has a band purposefully derailed their high-profile potential to record their songs their way (issuing a vinyl-only album mere months after their debut, choosing to create a home-based studio and man production efforts themselves). Instead of becoming the next Can-rock bubble band, Attack in Black sound closer to the next cult classic; adventurous, messy, non-committal, chameleon-ish and yet wholly Canadian.

When they aren’t performing electric-tinged rock tunes, Years revels in the band’s well-honed acoustic side. As The Curve of the Earth presented several shades of grey, imbedding their tunes with tones of optimism, dread or numbness, Years’ slower material flourishes over broad emotional territories. ‘I Could Turn’ starts with a jangling guitar-line for late-night wandering and a collapsing drum-pattern, before building into a loser-anthem of fleeting confidence while ‘Messenger Bird’ is a gorgeous piano ode to perseverance that recalls After the Goldrush era Neil Young. ‘The Surface I Would Travel’ closes the disc with subdued vocal harmonies, tastefully intimate bass and some echo/feedback-induced experimentation, leaving the listener in a romantic haze.

At a hefty sixteen tracks, Years is bound and fortified by its variety and while a few tracks could’ve arguably hit the editing room floor, I prefer its current manifestation. Coupled with The Curve of the Earth, Attack in Black are creating albums singular through their own trademarks; between-song experimenting, rustic instrumentation, and songwriting that suits its brave production. Years (By One Thousand Fingertips) is emotionally complicated, creatively loaded and beautifully packaged… Attack in Black’s first minor classic.

The Curve of the Earth - Attack in Black

The Curve of the Earth

Attack in Black
Dine Alone Records

SCQ Rating: 83%

One of the biggest issues I have with my job is that I have to work next to a radio. In most cases, I consider myself lucky that the radio is one of the few things I can gripe about, and while the root of my irritation deals with their formatting and the general corruption of modern day FM airwaves, bands like Attack in Black have never helped. ‘Young Leaves’, the lead single from their 2007 debut ‘Marriage’, would’ve been entirely forgettable if it hadn’t been playing twice an hour on Edge 102 all summer straight. Blame it on Can-Con regulations all you like, but there is only one singer in the history of rock and roll who could sing a chorus of “Na Na Na Na”’s repeatedly and pull it off. Daniel Romano and Spencer Burton, needless to say, are no Van Morrison.

So when my friend wrote me about a record he overheard in a vinyl shoppe, and how upon inquiring the band behind it, received Attack in Black as the answer, he engaged in a fit of self-abuse and existential crisis. After all, that band appeared intent on pigeon-holing itself as the latest Canadian rock band featuring no visible style or personality. They’ve thrown a curve-ball indeed, then, with their I-Tunes and Vinyl only LP, The Curve of the Earth.

‘I’m Going to Forget’ opens with some disarmingly simple and pretty acoustic chords, which when paired with shuffling percussion and tired but sweet vocals creates a poignant song about how time unravels memories we hoped to hold in every detail. It’s the first in a collection of hushed back-porch odes that are best heard on your own, or in the company of close friends while quietly breaking down a 24-case. Think about the quieter material on Eric's Trip's 'Love Tara' and you're in the right ballpark.

While first listens can occasionally teeter on the brink of monotony, the varied vocalists (each band member lends their respective pipes), some unexpected backward-singing, and the general brevity of most songs overcome any threat of acoustic overdose. The electric bombast of ‘You’re Such an Only Child’ plus the use of banjo and other organic instrumentation (is that a kazoo on ‘Sparrow’!?!) also keep proceedings unpredictable. I only wish more bands would take this kind of initiative and offer different sides of their sound. Not only does this release make Attack in Black suddenly matter to me, it also justifies giving the punk-influenced mood of ‘Marriage’ another chance.

Listening to the sparse beauty of songs like ‘Rope’ or ‘Morning Bird/Water Line’ make me long for Spring when I can take a record like this out for a walk in the rain and pay no mind to where I’m going. Releasing this collection on vinyl requires no explanation once you’ve listened to its 12 songs (included are access to the album MP3s), and it’s one more good reason to fix the belt of that old record player.