Not to be confused with Dan the Automator’s fictional alter-ego Nathaniel Merriweather, Daniel Merriweather is very much a real person—and a really talented person at that. Having first popped up on Mark Ronson’s Version, where he provided the vocals for “Stop Me,” the 27-year-old Australian now releases his debut record for the revived Jive Records. Ronson continues to play kingmaker though, as he serves as producer for Love & War, and it’s not some vanity credit, either. His touch is all over this record, such as his enlisting Binky Griptite and the rest of the Dap-Kings to drop the funk on a number of cuts. Love & War is replete with the same polished nü-funk that Ronson displayed on Version, chock-a-block with hooks, punchy rhythm guitar and snappy drums. But those are just the stage atop which Merriweather stands and he manages to carry the album on the strength of his vocals. At times they soar, but still they’re always muscular and grounded. Check out the hook on “Impossible,” where he reaches the high-notes of “your love” and you can picture him standing on tip-toes to hit it but never taking his foot off center stage. Guests Wale and Adele contribute capable but understated vocals on “Change” and “Water and A Flame” respectively, but Merriweather never allows himself to be overshadowed—not by this pair or the legion of musicians who lend their instruments to the battle (including Sean Lennon on guitar!). This is polished pop music at its finest. (Jive Records, www.zombalabelgroup.com) Michael Elves
Winnipeg music & culture since 1989