There’s both an Anglo-American, and a family connection in three piece act Black Daniel, and you can hear both elements in their album, ‘Let’s Get Sued’. Luke and Lamik are brothers from London, while Craig Louis Higgins Jnr hails from New York City. Although family togetherness may seem like an odd thing to mention in a record, you do get the feeling that these guys, particularly the brothers, work really well as a team, and they have combined their Anglo-American influences well.

Black Daniel have based their album on a slightly new wave, retro, glam rock style sound, which may be familiar to fans of acts like Nick Cave, Velvet Underground, and The Doors. The music kicks off with ‘I Love You But Don’t Touch Me Cos You’re Sick’, a title, and a lyric I’m still not convinced I’ve got the meaning of! The song itself focuses on quite a lively/rowdy arrangement, and a raw/retro guitar sound. They probably repeated the chorus one too many times for my tastes, but as an intro to the album it was pretty solid. ‘Let’s Get Sued’ continues with ‘Look Away Sancho’, which was recently released as a single. While this track explores the fuzzy, seedy, industrial side to the band, the songs that follow veer more towards glam rock and new wave. ‘Here Comes Caesar’ is one of the more catchy tracks on the CD, although there is a bit too much going on at times, while money also adds some interest. This song has an intriguing mix of sounds, which include heavy segments under the phrase ‘money darling’, whistling, and some tone heavy talking bits. The random additions of sounds and noises continue through the rest of the album, with what sounds like a speaking toy in ‘Lonely Screen Boy’, computer game noises in ‘Ivy’, and a radio DJ in ‘Got A Sneaky Feeling’. It’s these little additions, and the wide vocal range/tone of the singers that make this album different, although I couldn’t pick any album highlights, as I’d say this album is fairly well all on the same level. From a professional point of view, it was interesting to hear what this band have to offer, and I think they’ll build up a following. On a personal level, it’s a too alternative/scuzzy for my tastes, but I would give some kudos for the album artwork!

‘Let’s Get Sued’ is released on March 8th. For more information on Black Daniel, visit www.blackdanielvision.com