IAN DANTER – Second Time Around (2015)
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Mostly known in Great Britain as a sports broadcaster on talkSPORT Radio, IAN DANTER is also multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter who presented his debut album in 2013. We were not much impressed with it, but decided to give a listen to his second effort “Second Time Around“, released yesterday.
“Second Time Around” is released by Cherry Red Records, so it has to have ‘something’. The album features 11 brand new songs all written, performed and sung by Danter on his own – these were recorded during various sessions in Birmingham in 2014 & 2015.
Well, his previous record was some kind of an Ace Frehley-like second hand song collection (not strange as Danter was the drummer in KISS tribute band Dressed To Kill), but now he is taking a slightly different approach.
“Second Time Around” shows Danter’s influences under its sleeve, but now from a more personal perspective. The album, produced by Alex Cooper, is as good a collection of classic rock that you will find anywhere. You’re not going to get any jaw dropping virtuoso performances here, but many many occasions that elicit a smile on your face and a satisfied ‘yeah’ – and that’s more than OK.
From the explosive opener right through the eleven tracks, it is clear that Danter has a Jeff Lynne-esque ear for melody coupled with solid rock sensibilities and a touch for a great riff. He’s from Birmingham so has a geographical rock family tree that takes some living up to, and he passes with distinction.
A couple of listens in it went from a very pleasant experience. It’s classic hard rock done really well, conjuring up memories of a forgotten ELO riff here, a smidgen of 10cc there, seasoned with echoes of both Kiss and Thin Lizzy. It could be horribly derivative but it isn’t.
The first two tracks, ‘If My Truth Is A Lie’ and ‘Mr. Poison’, contain not just belting riffs and melodies but lyrically we get a clue to the heart of the album’s success.
With statements like “There’s no hole in my life to fill, happy victim of my own free will” and “Don’t write that cheque to Mr. Poison” we get a massive ‘fuck you’ to the naysayers, the drama merchants, to those who seek to bring others down or simply change them.
Dant’s has got absolutely the right idea here – do what you love, follow your passions, chase happiness and know that living by your own rules is strength.
The chord progression and resolutions on ‘Chinese Whispers’ are a complete delight; you will be singing the hook from ‘Love Fatigue’ after first listen and the title track has classic written all over it.
‘We Believed’ is true ’70s rock, which a touch of ’80s Night Ranger and yet it sounds completely up to date for 2015, telling a cool story of the aspirations and dreams of one of his previous bands.
‘It All Comes Down To Rock’ gives us a stadium belter and then after a romp through ‘Simple As That’ we have a more straight-forward blues-rocker with ‘I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today’, which in turn leads to the gentle ballad ‘I Love You More’.
This variety could well have been a bit of a cock up on the pacing front, but it really isn’t; the order of the songs is put together well and it feels like a proper album should.
We are left with a proper stomper in ‘Better Off Out Of It (Than Worse Off Dead)’ finishing the album with a rocking flourish.
Overall Ian Danter has well and truly come up with the goods in “Second Time Around” and it sounds like these songs are itching to come out and play.
There are parts of this album where it feels like the sunshine is singing to you. Listen to it, get it on playlists because you are only going to feel happier as a result.
Recommended.
01 – If My Truth Is A Lie
02 – Mr Poison
03 – Chinese Whispers
04 – Love Fatigue
05 – Second Time Around
06 – We Believed
07 – It All Comes Back To Rock
08 – Simple As That
09 – I Didn’t Get Where I Am Today
10 – I Love You More
11 – Better Off Out Of It (Than Worse Off Dead)
Ian Danter: vocals, all instruments
thanks to Liz Medhurst
BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/Second-Time-Around-Ian-Danter/dp/B012B84TI2
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