Dan Mangan | Album Review

Story by Dylan Bliss 

| Published Sep 8, 2010

“Now I don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
Dan Mangan makes the nature of his sophomore effort clear as he cranks out several surprising moments in “Nice, Nice, Very Nice.” The Canadian-folk-singer profile is tired at best, but somehow this record’s cadence is unbelievably refreshing. Mangan has always mixed his pop and folk influences, but this time around the mood has lightened more than slightly. His debut album, “Postcards and Daydreaming,” was somber and very trying at times. I’m thrilled to say that things have changed to become not only more accessible, but also relatable and less Canadian. I don’t even know what that means.
I do know that this record has the strongest opening of any I’ve heard this year. Beginning with “Road Regrets,” Mangan drives incessantly towards coming to terms with what traveling does to a person, and by the end of this crescendo of a tune you’ll understand what he’s getting at. The track “Robots” is easily my favorite. It’s playful, and it carries one of the catchiest melodies I’ve heard in awhile: “Robots need love too, they want to be loved by you.”; these could very easily be your favorite sing-a-long lyrics of the year.
By the end of the record, Mangan’s deep, low and punctuated tones cradle you through his everyday experiences and current state of mind. He sings about emerging from a low point in life, and having nothing more to share but his light and curious observations. He’s arrived at a high point that produces music to make us feel more comfortable, and ultimately happy. “So how am I supposed to bring us down? To think that I got used to being sad, and sometimes down, and always blue, and did I mention sad?” If Katy Perry’s candy-painted optimism is failing to dig you out of your rut, lend Dan your ears--you might be surprised.