click to enlarge - Courtesy
- Danny & the Parts, Dancing on the Radio
(Self-released, digital)
Danny & the Parts are an aptly named crew. The band's rotating cast of supporting musicians revolves around the singing and songwriting of guitarist Danny LeFrancois, a busy player on the Burlington music scene for years now. The group exists squarely in the Americana zone, but some (welcome) curveballs are always in the mix. From their frankly unremarkable bar band beginnings, Danny & the Parts have evolved into an increasingly tasteful, professional unit.
With their latest EP, Dancing on the Radio, LeFrancois and his team have delivered their tightest project yet. It's also a return to folk-country form after the rock-influenced experimentation of their 2022 project Making Believe.
Opener "Firefight" is a breezy little number, slow and atmospheric. It's also a bit underwhelming, with LeFrancois' quiet vocals almost disappearing into the mix on the second verse. I found myself leaning forward, straining to make out the lyrics, even knowing damn well I was wearing headphones.
Things clear up nicely for "Lies," featuring some wry, punchy songwriting and a stripped-down arrangement that centers LeFrancois' delivery. The song ramps up into a gorgeous, soaring instrumental run before settling into a sparse reprise, and it all flows perfectly.
You will recall I mentioned a certain proclivity for curveballs. The big surprise this time around is "Silence," an ethereal instrumental track. Beautifully performed and smartly written, it makes the absolute most of its desolate minimalism. I would very much like to see this performed live, ideally in a packed honky-tonk environment. There would be heckling at first, sure, but I think the song could silence a room full of boisterous drunks into something resembling religious awe. Or, hell, maybe it would just start a riot. Either way, I want to be there.
Appropriately, the title track is the standout single. "Dancing on the Radio" is low-key but catchy, with a clean, strong arrangement and some clever production touches. No question, this is one of the finest songs of LeFrancois' career so far: simple and straightforward but delivering an effortless emotional depth.
The project winds down with "Lonely Broken Heart," an intimately recorded acoustic joint that sounds like a campfire jam, hours after midnight but long before the dawn. Not a knockout song, but a great touch to bring everything to a fitting close.
Dancing on the Radio does everything an EP should: It demonstrates growth, leaves the listener wanting more and makes a strong argument for booking these guys at your local watering hole. Beer drinkers love Americana, bro.
That said, the genre has become an increasingly crowded lane in these Green Mountains. Danny & the Parts still have some growing to do before they can compete with, say, the showstopping musicality of Cricket Blue or the muscular authenticity of Maple Run Band. Yet given how often they're gigging and woodshedding new material, that growth seems inevitable from here.
Dancing on the Radio is available on all major streaming platforms.