Following a successful North American tour after the release of fourth studio album, Club Meds, Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan – and his band Blacksmith – are due to play 18 shows across Europe before finally gracing us with their presence at Komedia at the end of this month.
A successful career and repertoire so far including two JUNO Awards, and albums Postcards & Daydreaming (2005), Nice, Nice, Very Nice (2009) and Oh Fortune (2011). Club Meds marks Mangan’s returns after a two-year hiatus. This first album under moniker “Dan Mangan + Blacksmith” sees the singer team up with other Vancouver-based musicians (primarily Kenton Loewen, Gordon Grdina and John Walsh) and move away from his Nick Drake-inspired roots.
What results is less Bright Eyes/Decemberists than previous efforts, instead offering a more rounded, modern folk-style, with added synths and hypnotic vocals. A press release from the group states, “Through a fog of analog feedback loops and synths, the band’s performances breathe deeply and steadily like a dragon at rest,” which seems pretty accurate.
Avid cinema-goers may recognise second track Vessel from the 2014 film Hector and the Search for Happiness (starring Simon Pegg) but our favourite is Robots – from 2009 EP Roboteering – and we’re really hoping they’ll stray from newer material.
Either way, it’s hipster coffee shop folk at its best, and we can’t wait to catch them on the 29th of this month. Hurry up, Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, The Indie Queens are Waiting.
Tickets are still available! Get yours at seetickets (£12.50 + booking fee).
