Posts tagged Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards

Absentee is a band that I have a somewhat bittersweet relationship with. I enjoy their more upbeat sounding numbers, but struggle a little with the more dirge like material. The one thing that always maintains my interest though is the voice of singer Dan Michaelson. Sounding world weary far beyond his years, his vocals add a sense of gravitas to the proceedings that cover up almost any other weaknesses. I suspect I could actually listen to him recite the phone directory and enjoy it.

So I was slightly hesitant to listen to Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards. Solo projects tend to be more personal. More personal tends to be more downbeat. And if this was even more downbeat than the depressing end of Absentee, I’d probably be attempted to throw myself from a window by the end of the song.

Bust starts miserably enough, although it does quickly build to something larger than I expected. The guitar gently strums, and the drums jump around in the background, waiting for their moment. A short while later, that moment comes and the song picks right up. Of course, the instrumentation is all just there is supplement Michaelson’s voice, which is on full display here. Mournful, gravelly and just generally fed up, it’s the kind of voice you’d expect to find populating a bar in the deep south (in the US – not Guildford or something). It doesn’t quite live up the best songs in the Absentee catalogue, but it’s an impressive start for a new project.

Saltwater will be released on March 9 by the good folks at Memphis Industries.