David Janes: Deathcard [Album Review]
Written by JB.
It took nearly a year to record his first proper LP (and almost twice as long to release), but Deathcard is the sweet fruit of singer/songwriter David Janes‘ tedious work. After a limited release of his Kill-a-man Sessions in early 2008, Janes spent months writing, recording, and mixing songs for the next record, only to scrap the majority of it and start anew. Backed by his live band, including Philadelphia studio-musicians Phil D’Agostino and long-time collaborator Nathan Gonzalez, as well as Rick Wise and Emily Shick, the nine songs on Deathcard represent a maturity in both sound and writing that Janes has undergone since striking it out on his own. Whereas previous songs tended to lean heavily on the more-adolescent musings of Ryan Adams contrasted by the dark-strum of 16 Horsepower, these tracks achieve an emotional gravitas akin to the material produced by Grant Lee Phillips and John Doe in their solo work. Read More »David Janes: Deathcard [Album Review]
