Shining Day

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Compelling from the very first notes, Delaney Davidson harnesses sonic eccentricity and deploys it to magnificent effect across all eleven tracks of this absolute ripper of an album. Impeccable and intriguing production makes this is a fascinating and gratifying listening experience.

Imagine the sound as the love child of Tom Waits and Ryan Adams, plenty of grit and soul coupled with catchy rhythms and toe-tapping listenability. While it might have glimpses of influences from other artists, Shining Day is about as far from derivative as you could hope to get.

Strange I Know puts Davidson’s vocals and their distinctive New Zealand twang front and centre before Such A Loser launches us on a different trajectory altogether. Ever Gonna See is an uncomfortable but mesmerising track with its central question of “am I ever going to get you to see the way it is for me?” Possibly not, but thank you for the glimpse.

Ten Ton Forty Foot Carnival Girl reclaims the wobble board and creates the quirky atmosphere of the carnival itself.

Shining Day, featuring SJD, is an absolute stand out track. Melodically it’s strongly reminiscent of Johnny Cash’s Hurt but with the redemptive message “here is your shining day”. Another track The World Is Mine (also featuring SJD) surely belongs on a Tarantino soundtrack as part of the track’s journey to world domination.

Davidson’s lyrics are endlessly fascinating. From “every time I think of you, you get a little smaller” in So Far Away to “the world is an oyster and I want to see the pearl” in Ten Ton Forty Foot Carnival Girl, Delaney has the gift of the unexpected and poignant turn of phrase. The words are compelling if not always easy to listen to.

This album is remarkable. It’s truly a great piece of work and one to add to your collection as soon as possible.

_{Review written by Jacquie Walters}