Baby Dayliner
Critics Pass Away
Brassland Records

If you were to ask the self-designated underground captains what’s next in the world of music you might elicit a response similar to this one:

‘Well, there is this great new 7-piece indie band!  They play the accordion and the banjo, and they are a family!  The singer is married to the viola player, and the flute player is the twin brother of the girl who bangs on a trash can. Isn’t that, like, so unique?” 

The real truth is, although it makes for an interesting story, the odd, woodwind-playing family band angle has grown almost as common as the reclusive solo artist bit (you know, the agoraphobic jack-of-all-instruments who stumbles out of his cave every summer, just long enough to play Coachella and record an album with Matt Walla).  The logjam of new acts who have chosen to employ the same handful of ‘unique’ devices have become, as any over-saturated trend, irritating to wade through.  Where are the unique voices?  More importantly, where is the sincerity?  I don’t necessarily beg for difference or extremism;  I merely ask for music that is visceral and earnest.  Engaging tunes that are not front loaded with self-importance and gimmick.

This unspoken request is, in all honesty, the main reason why I have gone absolutely bananas over New York singer/producer Baby Dayliner.  Baby Dayliner, real name Ethan Marunas, combines serious talent with smart artist management to create an experience that is truly unique.  He is equal parts pop, new wave,and soul, and he manages to conquer by himself something that full bands with the advantage of messy haircuts and exotic instruments have often been unable to:  the opening show crowd.  Often opening for local friends The National, Baby Dayliner’s set usually starts with a magic suit case (that’s where the music comes from) and a microphone, and it most always ends with the crowd laughing, smiling, and dancing along.  A lot of the credit lies with Marunas’ strong, intriguing voice; a cross between a hip lounge singer and some 1980’s VH1 pop vocalist.  It acts as the link between all of Baby Dayliner’s various musical styles. 

Still, the best part about Baby Dayliner is his ability to maximize his creativity and fun output without attaching himself to a particular scene or movement.  The closest group you can peg him to is to his label, Brassland Records.  Based out of New York, they also handle the National, Clogs, Erik Friedlander, and other independent acts.  They discovered Baby Dayliner’s debut record High Hearts and Low Estate through Matt and co. of the National in 2003 and re-issued the album a year later.  Their relationship eventually begat Baby Dayliner’s latest record Critics Pass Away. 

According to Marunas, Critics Pass Away is the first record where he actually assumed the role of producer.  As you can tell by it’s vast range of musical styles, Critics is much more calculated and ‘on purpose’ than the more repetitive and thinner bulk of High Heart.  ‘At Least’ is an addictive opener, utilizing splashes of percussion and bass to start the party on the right foot.  The next track, the self titled ‘Critics Pass Away’, is my personal favorite on the record.  The guitar is more apparent, lending it a more organic sound, and Marunas’ vocals get to shine even brighter thanks to the pre-chorus’ infectious chant.  This is another big difference between Critics and High Heart: Marunas’ confidence in his own voice.  On High Heart, he sang with a sort of detached cool, whereas with Critics he has chosen to match his live show and let it all out. 

The majority of Critics Pass Away is made up of very solid, and mix-tape worthy tracks, like the sexy ‘The Way Look Tonight’ and the pop/new wave attraction of ‘Through These Hills’ and ‘Go On Baby’.  The only song that ventures out far beyond the record’s vast comfort zone, is ‘Whodunit?’;  an almost Buster Poindexter-esque dance track.  Without the context of the entire record ‘Whodunit?’ might not work, but here, in the midst of the other strong tracks, it does.  By this time we know what Baby Dayliner is all about, and the sincerity I mentioned earlier is there.

The only low point of the record I can think of is it’s last quarter, where Baby Dayliner’s cool & upbeat personality takes a break and makes way for the darker, less engaging side of the artist.  ‘Silent Places’ is a great, fun song and the lyrics to ‘Nature’s Clause’ are brilliant, however the energy of tracks like ‘Breezy’ and ‘Small Town Halls’ doesn’t match the album’s strong first half (of course being a huge fan, I still love these songs).

As a whole, Baby Dayliner represents that refreshing and visceral attitude that I had been missing for a great while.  If you find yourself in a similar slump take a chance and listen to Critics Pass Away.  It is his first break through album, as far as realizing his own sound, and it might be your favorite record you hear all year.  If not you can always take a recommendation from the hype factory and check out the next Arcade Fire spin off band.  I hear the piccolo player wears a mean scarf on stage.

MP3
At Least

Music Videos
Silent Places
The Way You Look Tonight
Raid

Websites
http://www.babydayliner.com
http://www.myspace.com/babydayliner
http://www.brassland.org