Danielson Famile

Item: A Prayer for Every Hour
Author: Todd Brown

A Prayer for Every Hour

(1995)

Reviewed by Todd Brown

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Label Tooth & Nail RecordsThe LighthouseDecember 1995

experimental folk indie rock lo-fi

This disc, without a doubt, is going to inspire an intense love/hate reaction from listeners. There will be no middle ground. You will either love it, or you will loathe it. Most will probably land on the loathe side. I don't.

Dan Smith, aka Danielson, could become a do-it-yourself legend. The entire album was recorded on a four-track in his basement with his family backing him up-with most songs recorded in one or two takes. [As an interesting little side note... Have you ever heard the modern hymn "Our God Reigns"? Smith's father wrote it.] Not surprisingly, the sound is raw throughout. Mistakes have been left in; there are false starts, false stops, people talking and laughing in the background, missed notes, wrong notes, and just about everything else you can think of. If you're a sonic perfectionist, this will probably drive you crazy. If the mistakes weren't enough to keep you away, Smith's singing voice probably would. Vocals throughout are done in a piercingly high falsetto.

Having said this, why would anyone in their right mind actually want to buy this album? Simply because it is one of the most original, creative and honest pieces of work to appear in a long time. The songs rarely, if ever, follow a conventional songwriting pattern. Nowhere is there a verse-chorus-verse-bridge-chorus to be found. Most often songs are given free reign to wander where they choose. The combination of Dan's songwriting and unique voice tempt me to label him a younger, male, edgy Victoria Williams. But that would be a mistake.

Really, comparing him to just about anyone would be a mistake. There are small elements of artists such as Tom Waits, The Pixies, Bob Dylan, The Violent Femmes, and maybe a touch of Jane's Addiction lurking about in the music, but in the end they're fused together with a huge dose of originality to form something entirely new.

The music is based around an acoustic guitar. That seems simple enough until it is run through a metal pedal and a delay sampler. Then comes the panflute, sleigh bells, kazoo, organ, drums, bass, tambourine and the strange pulsing drum machine.

Lyrically, you get a slice of Smith's life. "What to Wear" tells the story of a suicide in his home town. "1000 Push Ups" and "Ugly Tree" tell of his failures and insecurities. "Like a Vacuum" speaks of his brokenness and dependency on God. "Pepcid 20mg" tells the sad tale of all the foods he has to give up because of a stomach condition.

It's odd and unorthodox; it may grate a little, or a lot; but in the end, it's Smith. And that's a good thing. And it certainly doesn't hurt that Tooth & Nail is selling this full length album for an EP price.