Dan Bodan
“Jaws of Life”
Soft (out 10.28 on DFA)
I awoke Tuesday morning to a delightful email. The Berlin-based crooner’s long-awaited debut LP finally has a release date, and in “Jaws of Life,” I got a third taste of the ten-song effort. Like nearly all of his bulletproof back catalogue, “Jaws of Life” lurches along at a languid pace, smearing Bodan’s pillow top soft tenor over a romantic arraignment. He’s always been an exquisite storyteller, armed with a disarming, graceful voice. However, his exceedingly rare ability to weave lustful tales that tiptoe on the borderline between romance, playfulness and downright lecherousness is what really sets him apart. I mean, not a lot of artists can make “tourist dick” sound charming, but somehow Bodan can. “Jaws of Life” is yet another positive step towards what may culminate in one of the best albums of 2014.
