Danny Michel - Feather, Fur, and Fin

Posted by Erin in Entertainment and Pop Culture Music.

Something really odd happened to me the other night… I went to Old Navy and heard a song that didn’t totally blow.

So there I am, looking at pants, and I hear a song. It’s kind of indie rock, kind of folky, has a decent drumbeat, upbeat rhythm… I decide to text myself the following lyric, which looks more emo written out than it sounds in the context of the song:

“Why can’t I see the sweet things / Until they’re all gone?”

When I get home, I found out that the song is called “Sweet Things” by Danny Michel. Mr. Michel is a Canadian gentleman whose 30-second previews on iTunes were enough to convince me to purchase his album Feather, Fur, and Fin.  I mentioned “Sweet Things” in my last blog post, but here I’m going to talk more about the album as a whole.

Feather, Fur, and Fin is a relatively short album that manages to pack a range of styles and emotions, from the slow, sad “Clear” to the reggae-inspired “The 14 Masks of Danger,”  into its playing time of just over 45 minutes. The title track is a fast-moving, you may even say “rollicking” tune with an environmental slant: “Every little critter/ Feather, fur, and fin / Cried to Mother Nature / to come back for them.” Michel manages to deliver a green message without coming off as preachy.

Aside from “Sweet Things,” my absolute favorite song of the album is “Motorcade.” The lyrics, though not terrible, are not rrrreally original, but I don’t mind when I hear the way he sings them. There are whispers of Elliott Smith in this song, but not strongly enough to warrant and outright comparison. The beautiful piano track, the vaguely Spanish-inspired guitar, the endlessly playable chorus… if there is ever a time I have to be involved in an old-timey-and-mildly-creepy-but-not-completely-tragic balldancing situation, I hope this song is playing.

Michel has several albums available on iTunes, of which Feather, Fur, and Fin is his most recent offering. I think it is safe to say I’ll be checking out the rest of his catalog before all is said and done.

Entertainment and Pop Culture, Music |