Issued in 1997 by Work Records, Dan Bern's six-song EP Dog Boy Van was originally released independently in 1996, before his signing with the label. The record, like his self-titled debut for Work, kicks off with "Jerusalem" (the same recording), but what follows are five witty, insightful, moving tunes that hold their own next to his best work. Like Randy Newman, one of Bern's strengths is the fact that he'll risk offending someone to make his point; he says what needs to be said and then moves on. At the same time, he's not afraid to be sensitive, vulnerable or even self-deprecating. In the best folk tradition, he also has the knack for telling tall tales like in the hilarious "Talkin' Alien Abduction Blues," as well as the ability to extract timeless emotions from a timely subject, as in the affecting, Woody Guthrie-inspired "Oklahoma" (written about the bombing in Oklahoma City). Dog Boy Van is a welcome release from a vital new artist's past.
© Brett Hartenbach /TiVo