Album Review: Jerry Fish feat. MayKay, Dreaming of Daniel

Since 2020, Jerry Fish has co-hosted Dublin's annual 'Hi, How Are You Day!' – an opportunity to celebrate Daniel Johnston’s life and legacy, while also having open conversations about mental health and wellbeing – with MayKay and pianist/arranger Cian Boylan. The trio, with the added bolster of a 14-piece orchestra, a three-piece brass section and backing vocalists, have delivered one hell of a tribute record here.

Indeed, merely labelling the 13 tracks on Dreaming of Daniel as covers, really does them a disservice – channelling as they do, the originality, brilliance, poignancy and transcendent nature of the lord of lo-fi himself, the legend that was Daniel Johnston.

Fish took the risky road. Lead single, ‘Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Your Grievances’, douses the raw original through the big band/rock cabaret wash, and results in a celebration of Johnston’s philosophy – one which we can all dance to, when Jerry & Co. perform the tracks from this record on an upcoming Irish tour, including a Grand Social show for 2025's 'Hi, How Are You Day!' on January 26.

Jerry Fish is a veteran Daniel Johnston disciple, who has been performing his version of ‘The Story Of An Artist’ for years, and its harlequin-infused, carnival atmosphere nails the track to an almost blasphemously better extent than the original. ‘Peek A Boo’ reprises that brilliance.

Elsewhere, Maykay’s naked vocal delivery on ‘Devil Town’ is exquisite, and she brilliantly anchors the shattered dreams of ‘Some Things Last A Long Time’. Finally, the country stomp of the pair duetting on ‘Ain’t No Woman Gonna Make A George Jones Outta Me’ is great gas.

Mighty stuff.

9/10