Dean Friedman's '12 Songs'

12 Songs

Dean Friedman

Dean Friedman is that kind of songwriter that you may well not have heard of, but he is in fact a legend when it comes to the term. He's been writing songs since the age of 9, in 1964, so needless to say, he has quite the wealth of experience.

With a ton of records under his belt, Dean is now releasing his latest album '12 Songs' which is his first in 7 years. With a 40+ date tour this summer, Dean wanted to make sure he had some new material to offer his dedicated fan base and '12 Songs' does not disappoint.

'The Kite Song' is a jazzy little number that bounces along elegantly with a casual click of the fingers and the introduction of what sounds like a glockenspiel, to accompany the evocative brass sections and Dean's wide ranging vocals. Supposedly, the track is a loose metaphor for the beginning of Friedman's recording career, but on the other hand, you could just take it as a great song about a kite!

'The Ducks of St. Stephens Green' provides another highlight to the album, telling the story of the 1916 Easter rising in Ireland, and tell it he certainly does. Dean takes on a more simple acoustic guitar and Celtic ensemble for this laid back number that displays Dean's affinity for storytelling within his music. The song maintains his trademark light humour and breezy stylings, putting a serious historical event into the perspective of the local ducks.

Possibly the most admirable thing about Dean is his ability to write in a number of different styles; he is the ultimate songwriter in that respect. But in another sense, he is much more than this: a multi-instrumentalist, a storyteller and most of all, an entertainer.

As a result, I wouldn't mind catching one of his live shows whilst he's touring- 100% entertainment guaranteed.

COMMENTS

• Duncan Parsons
  He's playing in Sheffield on the 20th July at The Lantern Theatre!