Danny Schmidt is a songwriter’s songwriter. At his best, he distills complex emotions into sharp sentiments against deft fingerpicking and gently trembling vocals. Rounding into the third decade of his career, 10th album Standard Deviation boasts those remarkable moments – opening lullaby to his daughter “Just Wait Til They See You” and the jaunty “Last Man Standing” – but also meanders in metaphors and narratives when a lighter touch would’ve served better. For illustration, see the title track, Bob Dylan hagiography “Newport ’65,” and the gentrification self-flagellation “Agents of Change.” Conversely, the heartbreakingly personal confrontation of miscarriage in “We Need a Better Word” begs the song’s title in wanting for an impossibly apt metaphor. Schmidt’s songs too often revel in wearing the bones of their craft, which although sometimes thrillingly revealing, diminishes their magic.
This article appears in April 5 • 2019.
