released 01 July 2010
TORONTO, June 29 - Finally, proof that the music industry is in the hands of the artists. This Thursday, July 1st - Canada day - a day of fireworks, celebration and excitement, Kitchener-Waterloo singer-songwriter Danny Michel releases his exuberant 8th studio record, “Sunset Sea." The record is available independently and can be ordered at www.dannymichel.com/newsite/music.html and at tour stops this summer.

The new record is an opus co-produced by Danny Michel and Grammy-nominated producer Mark Stockert. Written “all over the place” as Danny puts it, the worldly album was mostly written in Belize, a country as colourful as the toucans that claim to be their national symbol. The record brings the sounds of travelled places into one aural space: listen carefully and you’ll find evidence of horses hooves galloping at the perfect tempo, kitchen stools scraping on wooden floors, bells, banjos, lapsteel, accordion, clarinet, kalimba, trumpet, reggae reverb and even gangs of internet-commissioned “hey’s!!” from fans. There are friends, nieces, and nephews. And then there’s Danny, the man-in-the-middle, singing with his signature raspy edge, adding xylophone runs, guitar playin’ proficiency and almost anything else you can think of to a glorious collection of music.

“It's incredible. Such a wide breadth of sounds and styles...and yet still the quintessential Danny Michel we've all come to love with his inventiveness and sparkle. It's his best, frankly” commented Amanda Putz, host of CBC Radio’s Bandwidth.

Longtime friend and celebrated Canadian songstress Sarah Harmer lends her voice to a gorgeous new ‘classic Danny’ tune called Binary Star, recorded thanks to the world-wide-web, and a microphone setup in Costa Rica.

As one fan who watched the making of the new album through a series of jubilant (and often late-night) video blog posts on Danny Michel’s website described aptly, the music is “total joy.” And that really does sum it up. It’s a new Danny, but it’s the same one who garnered acclaim with Juno-nominations, 5 star reviews and kudos from the revered Alejandro Escovedo. The force of his happiness almost compels you to forget how much skill and vision is behind the music.

Ever the strenuous and talented lyricist, Danny Michel’s existential passages urge listeners to “find that spark” and hint that “…my generation’s reaching for your hand/won’t you open up your heart and minds to them?” Other songs like Wish Willy read as banjo-led anthems to carefree beachside fish fry get-togethers. Who’s Gonna Miss You? is a song which examines karma while asking “did you live it right?/did you live it wrong? When I’m You is an introspective song written to his future self and Switchman wonders whether fate or luck will prevail. Co-producer Mark Stockert commented during recording that he was “just trying to make a record that sounds like Danny Michel” and it does, if not courageously so.