Donny Hue & the Colors – Tell Tall Tales
Donny Hue’s last album, Folkmote, was a blissfully lovely indie folk pop pleasure, and at first listen to this new record I was a little disappointed at the absence of the more luxuriant embellishments. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I actually think this is a far better album, although it took a couple of listens. It’s stripped down to just the man himself, an acoustic guitar and a harmonica and he uses this to evoke the kind of literate, arch protest folk that inspired early Bob Dylan. In fact, you could easily say that this is in many ways his Bob Dylan record – a bit of a Blonde on Blonde – but I think older music fans than myself might be more likely to point to Woodie Guthrie and his ilk instead.
Musically, instead of Neutral Milk Hotel* this is more evocative of the brilliant Adam Balbo, albeit more acoustic and in perhaps sadder, some of the time, and less angry. It’s arch, too. The lyrics are very evocative, occasionally intricate and beautifully put together. Just taken as an instrument, his voice is inventively and diversely used. I suppose it needs to be, given how little help such a sparse setup affords a singer’s voice in terms of conveying the emotional centre of the music.
If anything, one of the most impressive things about this album is how cleanly it is able to carry your emotional state along with it. At the Lover’s Ball is gorgeous and melancholy, but even though it is bookended by two of the sassier, more strident numbers, you find yourself slipping instantly into the mood of the song without so much as noticing the change of attitude. Beautifully done – this is simply a brilliant album.
Donny Hue & the Colors – Good Time Happening
Donny Hue & the Colors – Alone in the Rain With the Sun
Website | Buy the album from The Kora Records
*See how often I make this reference, now I’ve finally discovered them! I’ll be pretending I prefer their early demos to their later, more commercial work next.
That’s a great tune, (Alone), thanks for that Matthew. On a slightly different note my kids a learnt so many more ways you can fit Fuck into sentences since they started listening to you. ;-0
Little fuckers.
Great album though. I must reiterate this: everyone should have this record.
Sweet stuff. Just streamed the rest of the album off last.fm and much impressed. Initially I thought he might be a little too Dylanesque, on the basis of Alone… His own voice comes through strongly and distinctively enough to prevent it from seeming imitative though, and the range of styles is impressive (in the sense of exploring broadly within a relatively constrained range). Some tastefully restrained guitar work too.
Shame it only appears to be available from iTunes though; do you know if a wider release is on the cards?
i really enjoyed these songs. i will investigate further.
Nic – that really impressed me as well. He shifts pace and mood quite dramatically from one song to the next on a few occasions, but nothing ever jars and you go along with it really easily.
It’s on eMusic too, if that’s better for you but they aren’t planning a physical release that I am aware of.
wh666 – Do. I’m loving this. It’s a really charismatic, quirky little album.
Sounds superb. Just snagged it on eMusic.
Aha. I should have looked a bit harder. Much better. Thanks!
This is a new one on me. Thumbs pointed skywards.