Album Review: Dan Brodie - Deep Deep Love

When a musician has been kicking around for over 15 years, they gradually accumulate a collection of songs that have, for various reasons, never made it onto their recordings. Dan Brodie has found a home for such works with his fifth album, Deep Deep Love, which he has heralded as his “lost and found” album. 

Brodie has experimented with many genres throughout his career, ranging from rock to blues to pop to folk; however this latest album finds him settling into a stripped-back country style, in order to address some personal and confronting issues of his life. His open and unabashed approach results in themes of melancholy, loneliness and heartache taking the limelight; first detected in the track, You Look So Tired. There's such compassion and empathy in his voice as he sings, “You look so tired”, followed by a heartrending twang of guitar; the listener would be hard pressed to turn down his offer to, “stay here for a while”. Brodie keeps this sombre tone alive with Tear Us Down, a minimalist composition containing some stunning guitar work and honest vocals, while Fallen Down Again has a bolder presence, embodying a Spaghetti Western style. Dean Schulz plays his double bass with a bow on this track, which adds magnificent tension. The album finishes on a powerful note, as I Was Thinking Of You ends suddenly with the lyrics, “I'll be loving you 'til my dying day”.

Despite the fact that this work is comprised of bits and bobs from across his career, the album possesses a remarkable cohesiveness, with each piece contributing to the larger story. Deep Deep Love is a mature and poignant release.