Tuesday, June 21, 2016

MUSIC REVIEW OF THE DAY: BD HARRINGTON - THE DIVER'S CURSE



Oh boy, a lyric booklet packed with verse after verse, lots of serious explorations of the human condition, bad experiences and deep thoughts. The lines are darkly poetic, the characters in moral crisis. The music mirrors the mood, a strong band recorded raw and sad, kind of an alt-country Bad Seeds to our singer's less dramatic (and less of a showman) Nick Cave. So it's real life then, songs where you learn something about yourself.


BD Harrington is a Canadian better known on other shores, particularly France for some reason, where his previous two albums have gained him rapturous praise from the in-the-know types. He's also originally Irish, and has lived there, Italy, Mexico and London, as well as Toronto, where he was raised. No surprise he has a degree in creative writing and has studied painting.


Harrington's not as bleak as some of the other fellow travelers in this vein, which is actually refreshing and lets you ponder the potential meanings in an easier setting. The better to study characters who can sing "I've got one match left, but there's so much to burn." The language alone is rich enough even if you don't want to ponder: "This is where it ends, this is where it falls apart/this is how the apples fell off the apple cart." The French, they always know...

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