DAN BRYK, ASSHOLE: Review
No! Discs

With the Syd Barrett-esque false start on the opening track, Dan Bryk makes it clear that he's just as flawed as the people he criticizes in his incisi ve and quirky ditties. His voice, though less-than-perfect and vaguely reminiscent of Steve Malkmus, perfectly expresses the almost childlike perspective of his narrative, which sometimes dips into juvenile, but always clever, humour. These qualities brilliantly belie his remarkable ability to uncover the less obvious ironies of life, along with the notion of the nearimpossibility of working out human relationships. This is not a comedy record but an absurdist condemnation of the curse of mankind most commonly referred to as existence.

The strong structures and melodies are appropriately odd, further suggesting that Bryk puts a lot of effort into his compositions. His piano is often the only accompaniment although there are some fine guest spots, including Kurt Swinghammer on a couple of the disc's finest tracks.

Ernest J. Agbuya