Dan Mangan may not be a household name anywhere outside of his native Canada, but he has been building up momentum in indie circles since the release of his official debut Nice Nice Very Nice in 2009. It must be said that – compared with the understated acoustic folk of his debut – Oh Fortune, is much more ambitious and epic than anybody could have predicted.
Opening track, 'About as Helpful as You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All', begins as a dramatic soundscape of piano and guitar, before settling into a beautifully arranged orchestral waltz. On the whole, Mangan keeps his earthy voice on a fairly short leash, but it is actually at its best when he pushes it on lines like, “There were sharks below / Hungry for me”, bringing to mind the vocal eccentricities of Neutral Milk Hotel frontman and Mangan’s near-namesake Jeff Mangum.
It is not the only time when Oh Fortune flirts with Neutral Milk Hotel’s cult classic, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Mangan has the same ability to let one song blend into the next without any clumsy transitions, a perfect example being the merging of 'About as Helpful as You Can Be Without Being Any Help At All' (I can’t stand abbreviations) and 'How Darwinian'. The latter pretty much sets the tone for much of the album – plenty of acoustic guitar, shuffling drumbeats, orchestral flourishes and of course, Mangan’s throaty crooning.
'Post War Blues' is undoubtedly the standout track, showcasing a less introspective side of Mangan. With a thumping rhythm section, majestic, sawing violins and electrifying guitar breaks, it is the kind of thrilling folk rock anthem you wish Noah and the Whale were writing (instead of doing a series of shit Tom Petty impressions). This is a song about the modern war against apathy – about inventing an enemy that is easy to unite against.
Certain aspects of Oh Fortune are somewhat less appealing. Mangan’s clever and heartfelt lyrics often hit the mark, but elsewhere, on 'If I Am Dead' and 'Regarding Death and Dying', his mawkish existentialism starts to grate somewhat. By the time we get to Jeopardy – a rather dreary song composed entirely of questions – including “What am I doing? What time is it? Have I always been filled with questions?” – it’s an effort to bother contemplating the possible answers. Mangan has ditched some of the endearing playfulness of Nice Nice Very Nice and sometimes Oh Fortune seems to take itself a little too seriously.
Naval gazing notwithstanding, Oh Fortune is an impressive album. Dan Mangan may not have the mass appeal of Mumford and Sons (thank God!), but anyone with any sense will agree than he is the true master of folk rock.