If the “here” to which David Karsten Daniels refers in the album title represents anywhere on earth then one must assume that it is to his hometown, San Francisco. This dark, brooding yet hugely eclectic folk album reeks of the place, a cultural melting pot thrown onto disc for all to hear.
A mention must be reserved too for Daniels’ collaborators on this effort, nine-piece avant-jazz collective Fight The Big Bull. Their rich, layered strings, horns and drums bring a new dimension to Daniels’ simplistic sounds, adding colour and life to songs that deserve exactly that. “Through All The Fates” in particular, all circus pomp and sing-along choruses, takes advantage of the depth of instrumentation on offer.
What really impresses here is the fact that these songs were recorded live, with full band, in a member of Fight The Big Bull’s attic. It adds a ragged yet completely necessary hint of the ramshackle lo-fi sound that would have been destroyed by an overtly polished production process.
Overall, it is the melancholic feeling of the album, underpinned by the sound of trumpets wailing sadly as if for a military funeral, that gives it such impact. Much like Fleet Foxes, these despair-filled songs have the capability to bring such joy to those who listen.
8/10, out 21 June 2010
Words by Oli Robertson
