"Sing me a song before you go"
- Honest But Modest; Oleg's review / Joel's review
- Tramps Like Us; Oleg's review / Joel's review
This is Daniel's first EP (or, to be honest, a demo, but it IS an EP) and it
rules. Well, not from the beginning to the end, because the song called "Runaway"
is a pretty overlong (for a five minutes) and slow ballad that doesn't go anywhere
with its' repeatevness. But, apart from "Runaway", Honest But Modest
demonstrates pretty good songwriting. Somewhat poppy and comercial, maybe, but
it is still a darn good choice for you to get. Plus, the guy's voice is something.
It sounds like Bob Dylan that has just celebrated his 150 jubilee.
It all opens with "Take Me Down" - a one minute song that has nothing but Daniel's
guitar and voice. I kinda like it, though author himself hates it and says it
stupid. However, he (and almost everyone who have heard his music) thinks that
"The Drapes" (the next track on here, after "Take Me Down" and "Runaway") is
his best. And it's true. A simple, yet beautiful, melody continues all of the
way of the song, but it never gets boring. And Daniel's singing is simply wonderful.
Finally, this little EP ends on "Like Me" - the obvious Roger Waters'
rip-off. But it's a great rip-off! Calm little piano chords are mixed with the
best lyrics that Daniel has ever written and it give some great results!
As some kind of the bonus track, Honest But Modest has a two-minute
raggae piece "Left Me With The Blues" at the very end. It is too small and yet
unfinished, but it is great so far. Great little percussion, awesome vocal melody
and a great electric guitar solo that RULES. If we count this as a song recorded
specially for the EP, Honest But Modest could get the whole
four stars. But it's not a part of the EP, so I'd better give it only three
stars and a half. Still, be sure to ask Daniel for a copy - it is worth your
attention.
Daniel Fjäll...he lives in the same town as me! He plays guitar and stuff, and
writes music. When he gets round to record his music, he'll ask his friend Crocodile
Claes (who is some sort of an institution in the pubs around our town, and also
a very diverse and good musician) to support him with the instrumental playing.
On this album, though, Daniel plays on most songs himself - it's only on "The
Drapes" where the Crocodile shows up, playing everything. Daniel still hasn't
got a contract with a record company yet, for some reason
which nobody really understands...everybody likes his music! Might it be because
of the lack of gigs? Record companies seem to like artists which has already
played a lot, and have an established fanbase. Well now, the day will come,
take that as a promise from my part - just keep on working Daniel!
This little EP, his very first has four songs on it. The first one, "Take Me
Down", is a minute-long little noodling with Daniel's voice, his guitar,
and some city noises. It doesn't really say anything, but, well, it isn't
unpleasant! Then comes the ballad of "Runaway", which opens with a silent little
acoustic guitar, with a piano fading in, conquering the sound picture. And,
Daniel's voice! I never introduced you to his voice! Now that's what makes him
truly special; he has a gorgeous, smokey and hissing voice which is just made
for my ears! His voice comes in! The song continues, sometimes quite out of
time, but that's a problem which you all will encounter if you ever try to record
a multi-track song alone, without drums or metronome. I know. Well, I
really like this song, and the part where a guitar solo is added rules as well.
But, it's the next track which makes the record, and the track is "The Drapes".
It opens with a gentle little acoustic guitar, a repeating guitar lick comes
in, a drum fill, the bass, and Daniel's voice. Awee bowee, this song is just
plain gorgeous beyond explanation, sort of. What it's like? I don't know what
it's like, it's just damn gorgeous! The four layers of guitar; the acoustic,
the repeating one, a rythm guitar laying long, distorted notes, and the solo
guitar, the bass adding depth to the track, and the quite jazzy drums with lots
of open hi-hat...and the vocals. At the time of writing, the song is still up
on his website, so you better head over to www.geocities.com/daniels_demo_site/
right now, and see if it's there! And no, don't care if you won't get time to
read the rest of the review afterwards - there's more important things you can
do. Like download the mp3, or write a mail to Daniel and ask him to send you
his EPs.
Right, there's one more track, the piano-and-vocals-only ballad of "Like Me",
but it is sort of overshadowed by both "Runaway" and "The Drapes". Still good
though. So, my complaints about the EP is the lack of consistency, and the emphasis
on ballads (by this time he had recorded a short but enjoyable blues number
called "Left Me With The Blues" as well - it could fit here). But the record
is worth getting for "The Drapes" alone.
It seems that Daniel had been listening to Bruce Springsteen’s
Rising while recording this EP. But it’s not a bad thing, since I like Rising,
but this little demo is even better. Daniel and his partner, Claes Nilsson,
could make a collection of five excellent songs. “All We Got” and “Most Of All”
are the best Daniel’s songs ever – quiet and simply ballads that sounds just
like everything on Rising, only – imagine this – better. Simple and catchy melodies
with great lyrics and cool atmosphere (mostly set by Daniel’s warm voice, which
is not for everyone, unfortunately) – that’s all I request! Another song I simply
love is a short and unpretentious rocker “Soft And Clear” with awesome electric
guitar solos from Claes. “Blues #73” isn’t very bluesy to me, but it’s a good
tune, and you wouldn’t even try to think that this song was written in five
or so minutes while listening to it. And the album closes on a dreamy “Say Goodbye”,
which organ tone and quiet acoustic guitar I just love. What a great song and
what a great EP. I’m only dropping half a point because it sounds the same,
but, man, this guy has too much talent and the record has a perfect production
for an unsigned act’s demo. Go order it now.
More consistent indeed. The first three songs are so consistent
that I actually couldn't tell where one ended and the other began at first.
I learned to handle that, though, and the huge country influence which is shown
on this record bothers me no more like it did at first. But, as the emphasis
on ballads bothered me with the first demo, the emphasis on country DOES bother
me a bit this time. That's not an objective argument, though - it's just me
who tend to feel that country is just a bit too melting every now and then,
and that is also
the case with a couple of the tracks here. Minor problem, but still. That's
about the only problem I can find this time around, though.
The opening track, "All We Got" introduces us to the
new countryman schtick of Daniel Fjäll, with a slide guitar adding a few licks
to the acoustic guitar. It's a laid back tune, and if Daniel wasn't a Swede,
I would've imagined him half-lying under the shadow of a tree with the back
leaned to the trunk, with a blade of grass in his mouth, his horse eating whatever
grass it might find in the prairie landscape...and of course, a ranch some way
down the hill, or something. This song's a really fine one.
"Most Of All" is one of the two ballads, and actually I don't care much for
this one. It's a neat little country ballad without much of a hook, and a slide
guitar far away in the picture. But I'm afraid that doesn't make it for me,
sorry Daniel! It fades away too early, too...
"Soft And Clear" seems to come right out from either of Dire Straits'
first two albums, that voice, those guitar licks, those chords, those drums...the
song has an innocent atmosphere to it, but damn it sounds so similar to the
Straits! Not a bad thing tho', and I like the song.
"Blues #73", then, is a slow blues number, with a quite cruel bass groove going,
some cruel, twisted singing, cruel guitar playing, a cruel beat on the roll
drum...and Dire Straits/Guy Fletcher-like organs??? But, the organ solo is cruel
as well. All in all, the song gives a compromiseless impression, and if you
hadn't figured it out already, it's a cruel one! Great! Give us more blues!
"Say Goodbye" is the second little ballad, this time with
a bit more concrete hook in that "just make sure, little girl" line. Organs
adds a second dimension to the acoustic and the vocals, and it has a bit of
the Honest But Modest-mood, except that it sounds cleaner and
less home-recorded. It's a real nice one.
Oh, and the Crocodile was around when all five songs were recorded, I think.
When will you set up a band, Daniel? I don't have to be in there, you know,
and I probably don't have the time anyway! Did that make things easier? I'd
love to see a Daniel Fjäll tour...and maybe you could reach a bigger audience
then?