MP3: CS Nielsen - Happy
Usually when I read that an artist is comparable to Johnny Cash I shrug it off as meaningless hyperbole. C'mon now, let's be realistic - there is only one Man in Black and though there surely will be more great artists to come, there will be no one quite like him. Danish singer/songwriter CS Nielsen does sound uncannily like "American Recordings"-era Cash, with his deep baritone and barebones accompaniment. Nielsen lacks the gravity that colors Cash's voice, but he does exhibit the same strain when he reaches for the upper register. He also manages an easy-going cadence and that's probably the one thing that saves him from being a mere imitator. For all the easily drawn similarities, Nielsen never comes across like he's trying too hard. No mere parrot, he simply does what he does and this is what comes out. Sure, he tosses off the usual train and bible references, but elsewhere on the album he shows a far more literary approach by quoting the works of Dylan Thomas ("Rage") and (the vastly underappreciated) John Fante ("Ask the dust"). And when the backing back kicks in, you're far more likely to picture him as a more intellectual Tom Petty. Once again proving that Danes continue to create some of the best Americana these days.
CS Nielsen - Happy