HERMAN DUNE
THE PORTABLE HERMAN DUNE VOL. 3 (BB*ISLAND)
The Portable Herman Dune' Vol. 3 is the final part of Herman Dune's acoustic anthology, in which 22 years of songwriting are laid bare, stripped to the most intimate bone.
Though sonically naked, the songs are bundled up in emotion and loaded with life. Overall, The Portable Herman Dune' is raw and straightforward, the songs played as naturally as Ivar wrote them.
His voice has become more gravelly after two decades of singing, and his guitar is without embellishment.
All the recordings were made live in Ivar's wooden cabin of a studio in San Pedro, the harbor of Los Angeles.
You can hear the old floorboards creaking, a dog barking, or the neighbours driving loud motorcycles.
Feet tapping, birds singing, and the cat meowing when songs quiet down. Harmonica and mandolin are only discreet additions to the core of the songs.
And a bit of sparkle through a few friend guest, On Vol. 3 we have: Caitlin Rose, Mayon (David Ivar's life partner) and Julie Doiron providing vocal counterpoint.
Each of the Volumes have a slightly different character. The closing song here is the only cover within the anthology.
It's "My Way", a world hit for Frank Sinatra and known from Elvis Presley or Sid Vicious.