Daniel Firmin plays a two-song set during the Mountainside Open Mic & Art Night at The Rookery on Oct. 31, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Daniel Firmin plays a two-song set during the Mountainside Open Mic & Art Night at The Rookery on Oct. 31, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Album review: You should hang out with ‘Buddies’

New release is winningly warm

Sometimes music syncs up perfectly with the time of its release.

That’s the case with the breezy and winsomely warm new release “Buddies” by Daniel Firmin, which is entering the world in wake of the recent summery stretch of Memorial Day weekend weather.

“Buddies” is a lean five-song EP-length effort that is simultaneously a taut collection of slightly offbeat indie pop and a shaggy dog hangout album, which makes sense given how the album came to be.

Firmin, a singer-songwriter from Fairbanks who now lives in Juneau, recorded it in Wattage Studios in Anchorage with his friend Chad Reynvaan after Firmin traded the favor of driving a trailer from Fairbanks for studio time.

[Theater review: ‘The Underpants’ gets laughs from bawdy, body humor]

They then enlisted the talents of their friends, Anchorage musicians Kathryn Moore and Andy Tholberg, to provide extra instrumentation.

Those additional talents give “Buddies” its title as well as its sound.

While the bones of the release are absolutely in line with the sort of acoustic guitar-driven songs that Firmin performs live around the capital city, the additional musicians allow for some flourishes outside of Firmin’s usual live repertoire.

There’s also a palpable friendliness to the music that makes for an exceedingly comfortable listen.

The helping hands are particularly noticeable on the effort’s book-ending tracks “Next To Me” and “You’ve Got It All” which start and end “Buddies” in an energetic fashion.

“Next To Me” is an ideal opening song for “Buddies” as it begins as a jaunty, straightforward strummer before backing vocals, and a shimmering synthesizer drizzle enters the mix.

It’s sweet without being saccharine, catchy and over in 132 seconds. It isn’t a song that necessarily demands repeat listens, but it politely and firmly requests them, and it’s tough to say no.

The next three songs on the album — “Everything That’s True,” “All Around the Room,” and “I’d Still Love You,” — are less boisterous but offer a better platform for Firmin to show off his expressive voice. There’s an alt-country influence that will appeal to fans of Wilco’s first album or “Bobby” by (Sandy) Alex G.

“You’ve Got It All” closes the album with an uncut Pixie Stick of power pop sugar rush.

Whether that’s good or bad depends on how much mileage you get out of sub-2-minute tracks with “woah-oh” vocal fills, a Cars-like synth line and hand claps as percussion.

I’d go to bat for it as a well-executed retro rave-up with the same sort of slightly silly charm of “Soul No. 5” by Caroline Rose or “12:51” by the Strokes.

[Get ready for Pride 2019]

I’m someone who was thrilled to find a $3 copy of the Cars’ “Candy-O” and has a real soft spot for way too many latter-day Weezer releases, so it’s a foregone conclusion that I’d enjoy it.

At first, it seems like less-than obvious closer because it doesn’t sound a whole lot like the rest of the album and boasts the sort of energy that typically designates a cut from either the first half of the album or a song strategically placed on Side 2 to keep things going.

However, it does sound like a handful of Alaska musicians having a blast, which does make it a pretty great summary of “Buddies” spirit even if it’s at odds with the release’s worthwhile sound.


• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at (907)523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.


More in News

The Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Encore docks in Juneau in October, 2022. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire File)
Ships in Port for the Week of June 4

Here’s what to expect this week.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Monday, June 5, 2023

This report contains information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Water and wastewater rates in the City and Borough of Juneau will increase 2% starting July 1. (Clarise Larson/ Juneau Empire File)
Water, wastewater rates to increase starting July 1

The 2% increase is to match inflationary costs, city says.

A progress pride flag flies in the wind below an U.S. flag outside of the Hurff Ackerman Saunders Federal Building on Monday evening. Last week the flag was raised for the first time by members of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and will remain up through the month of June. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
LGBTQ+ pride flag raised at federal building sparks backlash, support

Varying reactions to the flag that was raised for the first time outside the building.

Cars and people move past the City and Borough of Juneau current City Hall downtown on Monday. The Assembly Committee of the Whole unanimously OK’d an ordinance Monday night that, if passed by the full Assembly, would again ask Juneau voters during the upcoming municipal election whether to approve $27 million in bond debt to fund the construction of a new City Hall. (Clarise Larson / Juneau Empire)
Voters could see proposal for a new City Hall back on the ballot this fall

City signals support for $27 million initiative, after $35M bond last year fails.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Sunday, June 4, 2023

This report contains information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
Police calls for Saturday, June 3, 2023

This report contains information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

Courtesy Photo / Chris Blake
The <strong>Hōkūleʻa</strong>, a double-hulled and wind-powered traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe, navigates throughout Southeast Alaska in May. On Saturday the canoe and crew members will be welcomed to Juneau in preparation for the canoes launch days later for its four-year-long global canoe voyage called the <strong>Moananuiākea</strong>.
Celebration of four-year Polynesian canoe voyage to kick off Saturday at Auke Bay

Voyage set to circumnavigate 43,000 nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean beginning in Juneau.

Most Read