Daniel
Rachel “A Taste of Money” (Dust Records 2006)
Second solo outing for multi-talented Rachel
Daniel
Rachel, former lead singer of the Midlands band Rachel’s Basement,
is one of those performers that has a kind of Peter Pan charisma about
him, full of vigour and optimism but coupled with years of experience
which at least partly explains why “A Taste of Money,” only
his second solo album, sounds so accomplished and slick.
There’s a real variety of styles at play throughout the record, almost
too many for its own good, from the folk-pop of “Hearts and Bones”
which exudes a kind of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” list
quality and inflected with the knowledge it was recorded in Kate Rusby’s
studio to “Let it Be Mine,” the next single from the record
(a spectacularly good video of which is included on the album) and one
of the stand out tracks building as it does with layers of string and
woodwind, and “Tivoli Flicks” (apparently an arthouse cinema
which sometimes showed pornos, leading to a whole different type of day
out…) perfectly captures the dark flickering and almost classical
ambience of the best old cinemas.
“The Bucket and Broom Song” is Rachel’s protest piece for
the album and with lines like “I fly the flag for my country, I even
pay taxes for the war refugees” shows what an incisive lyricist he
can be without having to sledgehammer you over the head (proven again
later on in the record on the Dylan-esque “Ode to the Fallen Heroes”
– just the two words “Gather Round” lets you know what
it’ll sound like).
Because Rachel tours so prolifically, many of the songs already feel like
they’ve been around for a hell of a long time, but it’s a testament
to them that they still sound so immediate, and on this evidence, will
for years to come.
Mark Whitfield
AMERICANA UK 8/10
'Tivoli Flicks' included on cover CD
