Dan Black - Symphonies

It’s hard not to sympathise with artists like Dan Black: unknown one minute, unavoidable the next. Sure, the instant fame and constant airplay must be somewhat gratifying, but what happens if your big single doesn’t thrill the nation? What happens if your CD ends up in the bargain basement, uncomfortably rubbing shoulders with The Twang? With breakout track ‘Symphonies’ receiving everything from Radio 1 exposure to ice-cool remixes by Passion Pit, Black must be a pretty anxious man right about now.

The song begins promisingly, with the instantly recognisable drum loop from Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’. From there, Black takes us on a journey of buzzing synths, string-laden choruses and, er, horrifyingly monotonous vocals. Black - whose voice is more like Mika’s high-and-wispy than Calvin Harris’s deep-and-sexy - never really stops for breath. This small misdemeanor makes it impossible, after a few listens, to enjoy any of the track’s good qualities: instead, it proves difficult to shake off the feeling that it sounds a bit like ‘The JCB Song’s cooler older brother. Try not to worry too much, though, Dan - who needs perfect songs when you’ve got hype?