I could listen to Dag's Dusty Anastassiou sing his stories to me all day. Of course, living on s different continent and not being willing to pay the international phone charges, that simply is out of the question. However, with new double LP Pedestrian Life featuring 16 of his creations, we all can get a generous dose of Dusty. The album is Dag's second, and has been eagerly anticipated by fans. Those fans are fortunate, because they won't be disappointed. Dusty's compositional eye focuses on every day matters and observations, with a side glance on the state of the broader world. His perspective often presents clear-eyed and somewhat weary realism, but there is room for relationships and affection in the mix. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that the man has a romantic streak, however unmoored it might be from time to time. But whatever he says, he says it with a poetic lyricism and a complete and refreshing lack of pretension. The arrangements are simple but melodic, and appealingly varied among pop, rock and country. The musicianship is exceptional and provides the perfect platform for the Dag's songs.
With 16 songs in varied styles and consistent high quality, Pedestrian Life unspools like a greatest hits album. But while the material is great, it is just the second of what we hope is a long succession of Dag albums.
In addition to Dusty, Dag is Dave McMillan (drums) and Dan Ford (bass). Additional contributions were by Francisca Castro-Merino (backing vocals)k Nicole Thibault (trombone), Lily Tait (violin), Stefan Blair (keys) and Liv Jansz (whose solo project is Punko). Pedestrian Life is out now via Bedroom Suck Records.
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