My favorite album of the year: a winter's tale PDF Print E-mail
Wednesday, 28 December 2011 17:48
GeeWhizzDan Billu: "New Haircut"
Rarely does an album produce bona-fide escapism…
Here I am, sitting comfortably on my couch, sipping tea and peeping through the window in search for a cloud but to no avail. The local winter isn't satisfying, to say the least.
'Blame the weather', some might suggest, yet, rarely has an Israeli album caught my full attention in recent years… that is, until this very shiny disc came along, re-shuffled the cards
and re-measured the audible experience. 

Dan Billu, an Israeli artist with an eye on the overseas market, managed to recreate a totally none-Israeli sound, with wintry vibes heard constantly via the guitars, banjo, glockenspiel and keyboards. His new album is a moment in time that finally brings the real significance of the cold season to the sunny land of Israel… an album that rains and at the same time shelters you from the rain, providing homely warmth and cuddling you. 
Never had the English winter shown any presence here. A substitute has always been welcome, hence I feel honored to share my impression of what can undoubtedly be classed as the Ultimate desert-island disc:

 Dan Billu new haircut album sleeve  

Have the flying scissors landed? The hint sneaks in at the beginning of House in the Sky and may leave one puzzled for a few seconds. "It must be the sound of your home"… and if it isn't? Such is the lack of gravity in space. Let's make it a "domestic" sound… and from now on, the domestic feeling surrounds you for the next fifty-two minutes.

On Cat vs. Mouse, there's an invitation to come into the house. Is it valid only for as long as the raindrops fall? Has the house landed from the sky? The drumming / tapping invoke similarity with cat's stomp, whilst the violin implies an elusive mouse... and if the fingers are "too cold to play", may the cat (hey, don't forget to caress him) and mouse play instead, sheltered from the torrent.

We’re going uptempo on Marooned. Are we running away from something? Does the banjo stand for a horse? With direct contradiction to the text, where one's step hurts the [mostly muddy] ground, the footprint will, indeed, be found. Is it great to be marooned? Given the terms and conditions, it's possible.

New Haircut, the title track, is an eager instrumental, and then comes The Morning After, full of questions: "Can we take a walk"? "Can we get lost"? "Can we tell what's wrong"? No, there's nothing wrong, please go on. I enjoy every minute, even without much sunshine above… as long as I have a Kazoo.

Happy Song displays the daring to be positive, especially after getting heavily soaked in Nick Drake. Is the backward "sitar" sound here to get us soaked in a dream? I've been in anticipation since pressing the "play" button, and now that it's here, satisfaction is here too and I'm positive. "Can you win this race?" he sings, and judging by my wide-spread smile, he's a winner… and The Funny Part arrives straight after, with more cosmic-sounding effects. The flying scissors are present again, with vocalist Maya Rilow to provide a dialogue. 
Have the two birds "forgot to learn" both how to take-off and how to land? The "take off" isn't the funniest part, and the quasi-tweets are effective against the lyrics: if the birds fly above the clouds, they are protected from the rain.

Jazzy elements are quite welcome on I Know You're Here, but unlike with the third line, piece of mind may not be found amidst the piano and the groove box. 
Who's playing "hide and seek"? Does the programming channel search for the French horn? The drums channel is hot on his tail, and even the sun peeps out. In essence, everything is here, including some "English depression" that's on the rise again on Simple as That. Do we get in the mood or is that the Seasonal Affective Disorder? Could it be a voice crying in the wilderness? No, it can't be that simple, can it? With that in mind, might a lyrical pretentiousness be heard on A Cry from my Grave from beyond the instruments? "A Dancing Grave" would suit it better. Such is the mood: impossibly romantic and deadly magical.

On Better Days, the pace is too fast for "slow" dancing and too slow for bone-stretching. "You will find a way to make me stay" is a line too hard to resist, considering the temperature too cold to have any garment removed… what gives a new lease of life to Harmony as a term, both musically and duality-wise.  

Can a sad song title re-animate the atmosphere? Everything's probable in music, hence, on Widows, the "attack" of erosive rhythm is lightly conflicting with the song title… and the implication is that life goes on, with a hint for a cheeky sunbeam to challenge the overall wintry mood: Rise and shine and dance in the rain again… and get home in time for tea. "If you can't resist the spell", sings Dan the banjo man… No, I can't. The album is, indeed, irresistible, because of the spell it cast on me.

Never has the cloudy season felt so cuddly, here or elsewhere. Rarely had the gloom turned into full-time bloom. Hopefully, spring won't be dawning soon... because Dan Billu is here with a corker. 
With direct reference to track 3 it would be great to be marooned, preferably on a desert island, if only this album provides the soundtrack.

To listen to the album online – click here!

 Dan billu


Dan Billu: "New Haircut"; High-Fidelity music, 2011.

 

Comments  

 
0 #1 wholesale578 2012-03-01 11:35
For men, purchasing wholesale men jackets
may possibly not be probably the most scintillating actions using the world, so you need to understand the fact that clothing you purchase should certainly be practical, trendy and durable. We hold you through the use of some important types of men's jackets that are particular to tick each of the boxes. Firstly, the leather jacket. Leather is generally definitely popular merely because it is sensible (it's waterproof) and trendy - choose a tailored selection in traditional dark for a superb appear that goes with everything and certainly not goes away from style.
Quote