Dan Mangan
Postcards And Daydreaming
ABC Music / Warner Music Australia


'Post rock' and 'folk' aren't two terms that you would usually read in the same sentence, being diametrically opposite genres with very different aims and intentions... Canadian singer/songwriter Dan Mangan, however, is attempting to rectify their differences and bring together their strengths on his debut long player 'Postcards And Daydreaming'.

With a voice placed somewhere between a more masculine Damien Rice and a less whimsical Nick Drake, Mangan weaves his tales of love, loss and heartbreak - it's the usual territory for contemporary singer/songwriters. However, the unique part of this record comes in the fantastic arrangements. Just when you think opener Not What You Think It Is will be a soft strummed ballad, a silky smooth sax chimes in with a gorgeous melody amd the previously unheard electric guitar kicks into gear as Mangan growls "you're strung out, and there's hell to pay."

Lyrically too, though the songs are undeniably cynical and broken, every once in a while a line shines through with a glimpse of humour. "I wish the world would just fuck off," Mangan sings on Fabulous, accompanied by the most melodic sax solo you may ever hear. "Cause then I'd have a reason to be bitter". Lovely.

It's the unexpected, passionate forays into noisy post rock that make 'Postcards and Daydreaming' something truly special. The softer, more conventional songs such as the Iron & Wine sounding Unnatural Progression and Someplace To Come Home To work perfectly, juxtaposed as they are against more experimental moments.

Things wrap up perfectly with the penultimate Reason To Think Aloud, taking you from a soft, hushed beginning to the incredible emotional and instrumental peak as melodic electric guitars and rainstorms of drums come cascading down from above.

This amazing, emotional and passionate debut from a 24 year old Canadian is surely the sign of even greater things to come. Watch this space.

Patrick Lang