Dan Mangan at the Lexington

Dan Mangan at the Lexington

23 November, 2009
by: Katuschka

Long tarnished by the kind of cringe-rock Bryan 'Ansel' Adams excels in, Canadian music is only now clawing its way back into credibility. With high-calibre artists such as Sunset Rubdown, Laura Barrett and The New Pornographers, all riding in on their Mountie horses, the spectres of Nickelback and Alanis Morrissette is slowly being exorcised.

Dan Mangan is one such artist. With heartbreakingly sweet songs about robot love, record stores and road trips, his gig at the Lexington is deservedly packed; admittedly by the whole Canadian contingent in Islington, but with enough Brits to establish a more localised fan base.

Adorable support is provided by Sweet Baboo, who makes up charming little ditties about dressing as a bee, surfing and erm, killing his critics, (erring on the side of safety I'll say buy his album it's awesome – ed. sellout) and Hafdis Huld, a duo containing perhaps one of the cutest Icelandic pixies this side of Bjork, who have all the enthusiasm and wholesomeness of a kids TV presenter in Holland and Barrett.

Mangan - a charmingly rugged bloke, who has figured out that the key to making a British person like you is to make fun of a part of Britain you're not in; cue much Welsh bashing - sounds like Horse Feathers with a chesty cough and a few Marlboro Reds shy of Seasick Steve, giving him just the right amount of gravelly tone to infuse his songs with the kind of nostalgic dust kicked straight up off a receding mudflap.

Songs such as 'Sold' with its plaintive choruses, 'Robots' with its general mention of robots and 'Journal of a Narcoleptic's' laid-back melancholia make them stand-out numbers, but each song is a fresh and upbeat take on the slightly tired genre of 'dude with guitar'. In all fairness, Mangan is usually backed by a skiffle-style band, which may add some spice to his show, but funds not allowing for this it seems, he fares more than well on his own

Occasionally Mangan tosses in a couplet about emo bands and buying records to make a girl like him, which veers dangerously near to Daniel Powter's twee world of woollen hats and magical umbrellas. But there's enough soulful throatiness, and jaded anecdotes to anchor these ditties firmly in salty-dog ground.

Perhaps not the most cutting-edge, but definitely one of the most enjoyable shows Iv'e ever seen, with cheerful singers more than willing to joke with the boisterous crowd, Hafdis Huld's blonde munchkin announces that it’s really more like a house party, and you know what, she's bloody right.

Our mate Bexy also checked out this show. You can read her review on the blog. Dan Mangan will be back in the UK some time in 2010.

Click here to see what's on at the Lexington.

Click here for more London live music.

Katuschka