Dan Reeder CD Review
Dan Reeder
Sweetheart
Oh Boy OBR-036
***
American singer-songwriter with a great aptitude for the understated, if you feel mellow or would like to do so Mr Dan Reeder pretty much fits the bill
Dan Reeder didn’t make it into the music business, full time, until late in life but he is making up for it. That isn’t to say his records and songs are getting huge airplay or sales, but due to his left of centre, quirky humour and low-keyed vocal deliveries he instantly captured my attention. Reeder certainly offers something different, and the funny thing is though his songs boast little other than simple melodies and with him ultilising additional recordings of his own voice (1, 2, 3 and four times over) it works. Impressively so on most occasions.
Some of you will have seen him when he was over touring with John Prine last year, as his opening act and even then, sat alone with just his guitar he made an impression.
While not all songs are as addictive or hypnotic as the wry and humorous You’ll Never Surf Again or easy as an old shoe I Don’t Really Want To Talk To You. Dan, who a good few years ago left the States to live in Germany has due to his recent ventures been spending more and more time in his homeland performing live.
Joining the above as highlights you can add Bach Is Dead And Gone, low key piece of home life Beautiful, that evokes the lives of everyday people, and with his passion for going outside the usual confines of songs Cowboy Song aided by scratchy fiddle lends both a simplicity and beauty. Although a Parental Advisory explicit lyrics label is on the front cover of the CD there is nothing to get alarmed about. Not even Pussy Titty or Pussy Heaven. While All My Money and his guitar, harmonica aided (to perfection) innovative version of Procol Harum’s1960s pop hit, A Whiter Shade Of Pale ensure the CD ends on a high. Maurice Hope