Collaboration is key with Shining Day, Delaney Davidsons’s 9th solo album, co-writing with SJD and Nathanial Rateliff, while Neil Finn also appears, putting his mark on the alt-pop, hyper-melodic, vocally-distorted What Am I Doing Wrong.
This isn’t an isolated example – catchy hooks appear throughout. The music hall sing-along of 10 Ton 40 Foot Carnival Girl, the melodious The World Is Mine, (a co-write with SJD) and the raucous rockabilly of I’m A Loser all stake their claim for best hook-on show.
However, the songs with space and stillness leave the biggest impression. The seemingly weary Shining Day (also written with SJD) weaves its melody around a piano riff and sparse drumbeat, while the lilting, acoustic folk-pop first single Strange I Know is one of the loveliest songs here.
Davidson’s voice is a potent instrument too – sometimes treated, sometimes still, sometimes rough, it’s central to the songs, a major element of the tonal duality. ‘Shining Day’ is a contender for Delaney Davidson’s best album, a record where thematic experimentation collides with superb song writing with dynamic results.
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