Album Review: Daniel Champagne - The Heartland Hurricanes

Daniel Champagne is a true troubadour, racking up countless live solo shows each year — both in Australia and internationally.

Here he's attempted to bottle the lightening that happens on stage yet, devoid of a live audience, there is often a sense of emptiness to the album making it something of a one-way musical street. Champagne's virtuosity, both vocally and on guitar, is never in question, his voice sitting somewhere between the dramatic gymnastics of Jeff Buckley and an earnest, keening Australian folk sound. Experiencing these songs live would be a much more rewarding experience. Here it feels too bloodless and doesn't quite gel as a recorded listening experience.