Danny Michel - Valhalla

www.dannymichel.com
I admit it; I am a huge Danny Michel fan. He is one of those artists who you just KNOW has a monster album in them and with each release I hold my breath hoping that this is the breakthrough that will make Danny a star. Well …. Valhalla ain’t it. Not that there aren’t great songs here. The single Midnight Train is catchy and accessible. Black Tornados offers lines like “She sells gun shells by the sea shore” and “I’m coming home to your sweet potatoes and black tornados”. The Danny Michel shows I remember (9 and counting) have been just him playing one of his numbered tele’s and over working a smoking loop machine creating dense layers of sound above which he delivers each gem of a song. On his albums you lose that unpredictability and his off-kilter phrasing, Danny has to make room for other instruments, structure and personalities dumbing down his best qualities. Damn!
Chris Brown

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