“It’s not the end of the world, just yet”

You know what the exact cure for what was ailing me earlier today is?

The new Danny Michel CD.

I wasn’t expecting to have it today–today is the official release date, but I didn’t expect that to matter for getting it in Halifax (I know Danny is signed with some part of the Universal music empire now, but… ), and besides I know that there’s a signed copy in the mail for me.

Anyway, I was surprised to walk into the CD shop this afternoon and see Valhalla on the new releases rack. I had had such a shitty day that I decided to buy it immediately, and give away this copy when my signed one gets here. Good call, says I.

Interestingly, the disc I picked up was the last copy, and there had clearly (judging by the open space around it between the other new releases) been a lot of copies. I asked the store manager, and he said that it definitely was the last one. He wasn’t sure how many they had actually got, but he said he’d rung in around ten copies himself today, so it’s not like I bought the only one they got in or anything. That’s pretty awesome.

This disc is just what I needed. And it cements my crazy plan to take some days off in July and do a “following the Dead”-style trip where I see three or four Danny shows in a row, obviously including the one in Halifax.

I’ve been through the disc three times now, and I am already ready to proclaim it brilliant. (I’m not just saying that because Danny is my second-favourite musicianNobody beats old Tom, of course., and favourite live performer. If I didn’t like it I would say so–see my comments on the whole Starling episode.) Early favourite are the so-easy-to-sing-along-to Midnight Train (the first single, I think), the excellently bitter Save It, and the almost spiritual You’re Not Alone.

There is an MP3 sampler online.

Oh, and do go read this interview, as well.