04:00 A.M.

Titel: 04:00 A.M.

Vö: 13.10.2023

Produced by: Tonbude Solingen

When talking about country music in Germany, we`re still somewhat in the niche genre. Country never reached the same level of popularity that pop music has in this neck of the woods, not to mention the status.

Now, a German artist, set out to change this and to fulfil the mission: Danny Myler. The Cologne based singer published her debut album “04:00 A.M.” in November 2023 and clearly sets the stakes high. Country is no longer on the outskirts!

Danny juggles authentically between traditional and new country throughout the songs on this cd, decorating said mix with her own personal touch. Her emotional timbre adds just the right amount of warmth to the arrangements, and therefore „04:00 A.M.“ is a fabulous debut, successful all around. The artists finally dusts off this so neglected genre, adds some new fire and presents 13 recordings with an excellence that leaves nothing to desire.

Production of this album laid in the hands of Christof Sautter. With him, Danny Myler created a very special jewel, at which we will take a closer look, much more a closer listening to, as follows.

photo by: Anna Tiedemann

The opener of this longplayer, “Hard morning”, actually starts in the fashion of a carefree line dance number, much in the style of Billy Ray Cyrus´ “Achy breaky heart”. And although it is a breakup song, the carefree melody is justified, since the protagonist of the song finds new love and happiness in the end. So, the comparison to Billy Ray is actually not a stretch, with he himself portraying a broken heart in his song.                                                                                          Melodious country sounds make “Hard morning” the perfect opener. No better way to celebrate a debut, terrific!

Also, credit needs to be given to the studio musicans, mainly coming from Nashville, who added that final touch to the songs, as well as to Christof Sautter, who as previously noted, is not only the producer of this record, but also signs responsible for playing the drum parts.

The next track, “Make the onions cry“, describes the relationship of the protagonist to her father, and does so in a cool-lively Nashville manner, whereas the artist steps a little bit on the breaks with “Dancing trees”, whilst adding a great deal of emotion. This track refers to the album title “04:00 A.M.”. The main character of this piece lies awake in the wee hours of the morning, head full of memories of an incident in the past. The melancholic, acoustic sound garment fits perfectly with the scenery of the theme and provides it with the necessary background.

“Too far gone“ again deals with a past relationship. Your foot automatically taps to the rhythm of the pedal steel, a flawless country song. “Little thoughts are noisy” tells about a violent romance, musically underlined with effortless filigree and reduced drum parts and the emotional singing of Danny Myler.

Whether it’s “Gun away” (modern country-pop), “Never fall” (an ode to country life, an appealing midtempo piece, where you gladly get lost in Danny´s timbre), or “As the crow flies” – this album is country at its purest! After 8 tracks the reviewer is already absolutely smitten with the artistic gift of Danny Myler.

The common thread runs relentlessly throughout the whole album. Whether it’s “Blue is just a color”, “Let the liquor in” (we are celebrating our being), “Not today” (solemn/wistful), or “Stay for the cake” (again about a relationship), the performer chauffeurs us refreshingly different through this silver pearl and connects the listener with her vocal art inevitably to that country feeling.

But it hasn’t always been just this genre, which is implemented so ambitious by the vocalist. Punk, metal and soul have inhabited her mental domicile, but in the end, she reached that place, which gave her a true musical home, country music. That’s a good thing, Danny. The vocal artist recognized the new found potential of country music, spruced it up with a new coat of paint, and transformed it into the sphere of songs to be played on the radio.

The final “Louisiana“ is a declaration of love to this state, a place where one might like to retire. Once again, country feeling at its purest!

Conclusion: “04:00 A.M.“ is an extraordinary solid country album, fulfilling all criteria of the genre. And it surpasses them at great length. Clearly a high level and character in Danny’s songwriting come to light, with even her ballads never sounding melodramatic or put on. Just the opposite, authenticity is on the agenda. The country ingredients, supplied by her studio musicians, are very well dosed and together with Danny’s timbre create the perfect mélange. A debut that has it all and gives hope for additional releases of this artist. The name Danny Myler should be remembered very well throughout the German and international country scene. Her omnipresence is already quite noticeable and will help establish this genre for sure in this country.

rockfrank

"Translation". Sandra B.