Club Meds

Club Meds is the fourth studio album by Juno winning Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Mangan, released on 13 January 2015. It is his first album to be released under the moniker Dan Mangan + Blacksmith.[1]

Club Meds
Studio album by
Dan Mangan
ReleasedJanuary 13, 2015
GenreIndie folk, Indie rock
Length45:21
LabelArts & Crafts
Dan Mangan chronology
Oh Fortune
(2011)		 Club Meds
(2015)
Singles from Club Meds
  1. "Vessel"
    Released: October 21, 2014
  2. "Mouthpiece"
    Released: November 5, 2014

Background

Mangan's previous solo effort, 2011's Oh Fortune earned him a JUNO Award for New Artist of the Year and for Alternative Album of the Year.[2] Club Meds comes after a two-year hiatus in Mangans' career so he could concentrate on being a father.[3] Blacksmith is formed by a variety of Vancouver musicians, primarily Kenton Loewen, Gordon Grdina and John Walsh.[4] A press release by the group claims that "Through a fog of analog feedback loops and synths, the band’s performances breathe deeply and steadily like a dragon at rest." [1]

Singles

The first single to be released off the album is "Vessel", written for the 2014 film Hector and the Search for Happiness starring Simon Pegg.[Web 1] Mangan composed multiple other instrumental sections and is credited on the film's score. Jason Grishkoff of IndieShuffle said that "I had to keep Dan's new track 'Vessel' on repeat, and the good news is that it pretty much didn't get old".[5] A video for the single directed by artist Ben Clarkson was released on October 21, 2014.[6] Reception to the video was positive with NPR's Bob Boilen writing that "The video is stunning — funny, odd and quirky, but with a sense of purpose"[7] Speaking on the music video and song, Mangan stated that "people are comfortable with a middle-ground safe place. We're afraid to be honest with ourselves and actually work through the highs and the lows and embrace them."[7] The song also features Dave Grohl on backing vocals and slide guitar.[8]

A second single, "Mouthpiece", was released November 5, 2014.[9] Spin wrote that "Mouthpiece" was "a memorable cut that should hopefully make the positive word of mouth migrate down to the U.S."[10]

Tour

Mangan has announced a North American tour in support of the album. Beginning October 25, 2014 in Philadelphia and ending in Vancouver on March 14, 2015, the tour comprises 36 dates including a performance at Toronto's famous Massey Hall.[11] Support on the tour include Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden and Calgary act Astral Swans.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Exclaim!8/10[14]
Consequence of SoundB-[15]

Alex Hudson of Exclaim! stated: "This record posits Mangan as a bandleader rather than a solo act, since it's co-credited to his group Blacksmith, and it downplays troubadour-like folksiness in favour of cryptic darkness. Although Mangan is still a balladeer at heart, his mellow songs now come swaddled in blankets of reverb and fleshed out by inventive full-band arrangements that draw on art-rock, worldbeat and jazz."[14]

Track listing

Music composed by Dan Mangan + Blacksmith (Dan Mangan, Gordon Grdina, Kenton Loewen, John Walsh). All lyrics by Dan Mangan, except where noted.

No.TitleLength
1."Offred"5:55
2."Vessel"3:07
3."Mouthpiece"3:42
4."A Doll’s House / Pavlovia" (Grdina/Mangan)4:04
5."Kitsch"5:11
6."XVI"3:58
7."War Spoils"2:52
8."Forgetery"3:51
9."Club Meds"3:10
10."Pretty Good Joke"4:50
11."New Skies"4:41

References
  1. "DAN MANGAN + BLACKSMITH ANNOUNCE JANUARY 13 RELEASE OF "CLUB MEDS"". Dan Mangan Music. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  2. "Dan Mangan + Blacksmith Prescribe 'Club Meds' for January; Watch "Vessel"". Direct Current. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  3. Arts and Crafts. "Club Meds". Arts and Crafts. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  4. Marchand, Francois (20 October 2014). "Vancouver's Dan Mangan announces new album and tour dates (with video)". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  5. Grishkoff, James. "What's so good?". Indie Shuffle. Web. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  6. Dan Magnan+Blacksmith. "Vessel". Youtube. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  7. Boilen, Bob. "Dan Mangan + Blacksmith, 'Vessel'". NPR. Web. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  8. Hudson, Alex. "Dan Mangan No More Mr. Nice Guy (Oh Who Are We Kidding?)". Exclaim. Web. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  9. Pulver, Mac. "DAN MANGAN RELEASES NEW TRACK "MOUTHPIECE". Indie 88. Web. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  10. Spin. "Listen to Dan Mangan + Blacksmith's Emotive Folk-Rock Ballad 'Mouthpiece'". Spin. Web. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  11. http://danmanganmusic.com/dan-mangan-blacksmith-announces-canadian-tour-dates-with-hayden-premieres-new-video-for-vessel/
  12. "Album Review". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  13. Monger, James Christopher. "Album Review". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2015-01-14.
  14. Hudson, Alex (January 9, 2015). "Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  15. Terry, Josh (2015-01-06). "Album Review". Consequenceofsound.net. Retrieved 2015-01-14.

Web:

  1. Adams, Gregory (5 September 2014). "Dan Mangan Delivers First Single with Blacksmith". Web. Exclaim. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
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