A quiet afternoon. Rolling waves and swaying trees. Holiday hut by the sea. Rustic front porch, wooden swing.
Shared laughter and murmured conversation. Folded knees beneath you, a glass of chilled Pinot in your hand. Sands in between your toes, the smell of the salty sea in your hair. Music in the air… just there but you almost barely notice.
Suddenly you look up when a somewhat-familiar tune came on, a favorite line belted from the speakers. You smiled, hummed along, and get back to the pleasantness that was the day.
Sounds familiar? Each of us have that favorite type of music which soothe our nerves and calm the soul. And it was exactly how I felt when I listened, in mild surprise, to the music of Danny Katz.
I liken his music to the modern day Kenny Rogers. He liken his to 80s flavored folk-pop. Danny Katz’s work are almost country music, but with a touch of easy listening that makes you just want to sit back, sink onto a bean bag and be carried away. His music wouldn’t be totally out of place as the soundtrack of Smallville (and those who know me well will know the show is sacred to me, so it’s totally high praise).
Some of my personal favorites are Bushwick, Revival and Yearning (you can listen to his songs on his website). The songs are easy to carry… not exactly catchy but it makes you feel like, hey, I heard and liked this before, when in fact you never did. The lyrics are a little eccentric and wacky at some places, but that’s what make Danny’s work so different and refreshing.
The prodigal son of The Postal Service and Ben Folds, Danny just released “Japanese Satellites,” his seventh studio album. Proficient in guitar, piano and jiuta-shamisen, Danny entertains audiences throughout the U.S. with unique covers, such as a folk version of Missy Elliot’s “Work It,” and his originals, which cover topics from the quirky to the hopelessly romantic. While he recorded a comedy album, “More Than Meets the Ear: Sections from Transformers the Musical,” in 2007, “Japanese Satellites” is his first major project since 2006’s “Strangely Beautiful.”
Now, a little background. I knew Danny for ages, always knew he is a musician who lived in New York and moved to Tokyo sometime early this year. And you might know that I never, ever did review of music. I recognise tune, but I always almost ignore the lyrics. One fine day Danny tweeted me asking me to give his songs a go.
I am glad I did. There is something very Carrie Underwood about Danny’s music. Instantly likable and very easy on the ears. How would I know? Considering I have been streaming his songs for eight hours now, I guess you could say I am a convert.
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