New American Language

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
"If you judge me tonight, judge me by the songs I write," Dan Bern sings in New American Language’s "Black Tornado," thus serving notice that he’s sick of the comparisons to various iconic songsters. Bern has never suffered from a lack of ambition, tackling pop culture and personal foibles alike with fervour and an utter disregard for taboo. Bern takes on similar subjects here, but backed by a five-piece folk-rock combo and warmly produced by Chuck Plotkin (the Dylan and Springsteen vet who presided over Bern’s 1993 debut), he strips away the sophomoric gags and cloying cleverness that have plagued his past.

Only the title track falls for the easy, ironic cop-out (key lyric: "OK, I guess, whatever"). Tracks like "Turning Over" ("I can’t find me one new leaf worth turning over") and "Albuquerque Lullaby" ("Don’t let your heart get broken by this world") are heartfelt and unforced. And while much of New American Language finds Bern mellowing into a newfound maturity, he’s still happy to poke holes in hype and hypocrisy. "Toledo" offers wry tribute to "The Church of the Holy McDonald’s," while the freewheeling "Alaska Highway" sucker-punches everyone from Eminem to God. --Anders Smith Lindall

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2002-01-20 rating:
not old Berstein, but NEW Berstein
for what it's worth my advice to you if this will be your first Dan Bern album is to buy his debut 'Dan Bern' and then 'Smartie Mine' before buying this record - that's not to say it isn't good, it's fantastic but it's not quite the same Dan Bern as his other albums, on which his reputation was founded.
N.A.L. is a great, great record for Dan Bern fans but it does see to be almost tamer and abit more rock'n'roll than before - which again isn't bad, just an inevitable change.

Having said all that, it's a fantastic record, that takes afew listens before the beauty grows, but spins around your head and lubricates your soul. Buy it.

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