Danielson The Best of Gloucester County

Maybe it’s my own fault, but I can’t seem to find a way into this record.  This is my first exposure to the Danielson Famile or Danielson Family or just plain Danielson, so I have no idea where Daniel Smith is coming from, other than a part of New Jersey I typically only passed through on my way down the shore from Philly.  One thing seems clear – he does things his way.  I always appreciate a unique and uncompromising artistic vision, even if I don’t end up relating to it or enjoying it any way.  And such is the case with this record, which I admire for its passion and commitment to a singular sensibility, but which I’d like to stop listening to once this review is written.  It’s not just that vocals are abrasive and strident (they are), but also that Smith is intent on subverting expectations at every turn.  So chord changes don’t follow typical pop song patterns like I-IV-V, and they sometimes come at you mid-bar and rapidly, as on Denominator Bluise, making you fell like the ground is shifting under your feet.  Occasionally, on the more pastoral, acoustic numbers, you are reminded of Animal Collective back in the Sung Tongs days, where the mood is languid and songs purposefully go nowhere.  Hosanna in the Forest is a good example, consisting of a simple chant and two arpeggio-ed chords, evoking the freak-folk campfire scene.  I’m probably making all this sound kind of compelling and it kind of is, but not enough I’m afraid.  Smith isn’t going for catchy material, expect for a couple of cuts like People’s Partay and Lil Norge.  The former’s appeal is undermined, deliberately, by herky-jerky stops and starts whereas the latter sounds like the 70thlove song left off The Magnetic Fields’ magnum opus.

I’m going to give this bonus points for the admirable trait of messing with our heads and not apologizing for it.  But in the end, the quirky ideas are found lacking and sheer bizarreness only gets you so far.  I’ll leave this one for the kids over at Pitchfork to groove on, since their review is enthusiastic and which will tell you why it’s so wonderful, and all of which I agree with by the way, without telling you how it’s any fun to listen to.  Buyers are cautioned to sample wisely before purchasing.