Once in a while a new artist will come along that so captivates, you just cant wait for the next installment. The Avett Brothers did it for me. So too, Steve Earle and more recently Doug Paisley.
I would have said the same for Christopher Denny, but the wait between his first album ‘Age Old Hunger’ and his late summer 2014 release ‘If The Roses Don’t Kill Us’ was a full seven years, and if I’m honest, I had pretty much given up on him at that stage.
From the very first chord of the very first track on the 2007 release, ‘Gipsy Into a Carpenter’, I was hooked. No hyperbole here – Denny was brilliantly different, paying homage to the older troubadours but putting his own distinctive singing on top of some excellent songwriting.
At the time I remember being thrilled at the simple thought of some new work from Denny.
I waited.
And waited.
For tour dates and some new work.
But nothing for 7 years.
With a little bit of good ole country predictability, the boy from Arkansas hit a run of bad luck – addition, failed relationships, and a crisis in confidence with that challenge of a second record.
Second time round, Denny brings us 12 more songs all tightly produced with jangly guitars and that unique wavering voice but it has been a hard 7 years for Denny and despite the evidence of angst in his work, it all seems a little bit tame compared to its predecessor.
Still, it is definitely worth a listen. ‘Million Little Thoughts’, ‘Love is a Code Word’ and the exit track ‘Some Things’ are all well crafted songs. My hope is that by listening to ‘If The Roses Don’t Kill Us’ you will get a welcome introduction (or re-introduction) to ‘Age Old Hunger’.
If so, then all is not lost.
It stands out for me, as one of the best records by anyone in the last 10 years and a great soundtrack for those long cold winter nights ahead.
‘Age Old Hunger’ begins with a track called ‘Gipsy into a Carpenter’ and it’s the musical equivalent of Denny planting his flag and leaves you in no doubt as to what he is all about. His lyric writing ability is formidable but everything is overshadowed by that voice, which is unparalleled despite occasionally been compared with Roy Orbison. There is a real simplicity to the style, writing and production but the voice amplifies every song.
Two songs in from the opener you get to listen to the diamond of ‘Age Old Hunger’ ‘Westbound Train’ and even though the intro has a hint of Garth Brooks (‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’), Denny’s masterful phrasing is stunning.
The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint with ‘Time’, ‘Heart’s on Fire’ and a cover version of the Johnny Cash’s ‘I still Miss Someone’ paving the way to the title track.
After listening to ‘Age Old Hunger’ you’ll probably forgive Christopher Denny for the last 7 years.