film the whole thing

Dan Mangan – Road Regrets
Dan Mangan – The Indie Queens Are Waiting

Canadians seem to be dominating my ears in the last month, and Mangan’s up there in the list of everyone’s breakthrough Canadian artists.  “Road Regrets” has been on repeat for a while over here — having what should be the best first few lines of any album (or song) this year — and the album is strong on the whole.  The lyrics are his strong suit — my only complaint, and the only thing that really bothers me about Mangan’s writing is that he rhymes too much, to the point where it gets a bit cute.  But aside from that, he’s hitting all the right touchstones — Canadian content, to be sure, including Vancouver’s cedar-abundance; longing on the open road; rent-cheque worries; record stores; Quebecoise song titles; it goes on.  He’s a bit less clever than John K. Samson, but a bunch gruffer, a little more whiskey-soaked.  He’s a bit like Craig Cardiff, but without the kid–he’s younger, less tour-drained, more in touch with the current horde of mid-twenties indie-lovers.  He’s out to conquer, and he’s doing it.