Daughn Gibson’s first record, last year’s All Hell was one of the most original sounding of the year. On that album, the Pennsylvania native unleashed a deep, emotive voice that recalled Nick Cave and Johnny Cash against a backdrop of cut-and-paste country samples, lending his songs an almost noir electronic feel.
Recorded live, his follow up, Me Moan, retains this signature sound and gift for storytelling, but also extends his palette with mixed results.
“Mad Ocean” is the first true highlight, with a synth bass that slinks around surprising bagpipes to create a huge sounding chorus with Gibson’s signature attention to detail. “Won’t You Climb” is his finest song to date, combined with gorgeous slide guitar and a finale with soaring strings and warm keys; it’s an achingly beautiful song about young friends becoming romantically entwined.
There are lots of nice ideas to be found elsewhere – like the intro and outro to “The Right Signs” or the warped female vocals that open up “You Don’t Fade” – but unfortunately these songs feel muddled with melodies that are simply unmemorable.
Regrettably the album finishes with its three weakest songs. The most straight up blues song here “Kissin on the Blacktop” chugs along nicely and the mellow “All My Days Off” that recalls Sea Change-era Beck is pleasant enough, but Gibson sounds like he is just coasting, as if he has done all his hard work on All Hell – perhaps a result of such a quick turn around between albums.
To his credit though, he never seems short of completely assured of the path he is taking. There is enough growth here sonically to still remain very hopeful for his future releases to be game-changers.
While he sounds more comfortable with his unique voice here, Daughn Gibson’s next album will hopefully contain hooks that live up to the sound he has crafted.
