WonkaVision - July 2007
Malan Darras – “Who Is Malan D?”
Who is Malan D? My guess; some naive, young punk channeling the likes of Justin Timberlake and Prince. Not a bad combo in my opinion.
Skimming through his bio modestly titled “The Life & Times of an Unknown Legend,” it’s amusing to see phrases like, “Malan Darras’ life is a feature film waiting to happen and his music is the soundtrack,” and, “Put me in a room with a mic and a beat in the morning, and I could have an album done that evening. It’s that easy, this is just what my brain does.” All this despite the fact that his latest album was recorded over the course of 40 days. It only took Miles Davis three days to record “Bitches Brew.” Regardless, the man’s confidence and overzealous nature (almost to the point of being an asshole) are refreshing. He thinks he’s hot shit and his music somewhat reflects that. The production values are off the hook, the songs are entertaining with an it-tastes-so-good-I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-butter quality, butter being a more reputable artist, of course.
The beats are lush and full of electronica intertwined with moments of dub-step, weaving a colorful backdrop or even a tent for the Malan D circus that is “Who Is Malan D?” The best part of this pop extravaganza though is the contrast between Darras’ ego, honesty and naivety. On “Xylophone Bones” he gushes about how the ladies won’t be the same once he’s come through town, while on “I Broke My Own Heart” he dances around the ideas of his delusions of grandeur shattering right before his eyes. His child-like naivety is well placed though, as he puts it on a pedestal before the world to be crushed with the sledge hammer of reality, in “I’m Only Dreaming.” This is the most conflicting song of the bunch, as it showcases an interlude of an elementary school teacher going around the class room asking students what they want to be when they grow up. The typical answers of President of the United States and fire fighter arise, while Darras’ perfectly adult voice answers, “I wanna change the fuckin’ world.” It’s cringe-worthy but I, somehow, still find myself grooving with the song.
It’s interesting, however, how Darras has perfectly personified a generation of young people waiting for their moment of fame to come. The only difference with Darras is, it’s hard to tell if he’s actually shedding light on this destructive mentality with this clever facade, or if he really is just a starry-eyed, man-child that somehow got a record out. [By: Dan Brian]
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: April 6, 2007
