Search - Darren Hanlon :: Hello Stranger

Hello Stranger, Darren Hanlon's highly anticipated debut album is a splendid collection of musical alchemy. The eclectic ten songs produced by Chris Townend (producer of Portishead/ member of Sun) highlight the unique Darren's songwriting and singing talent. After the promise of his successful "Early Days EP" the new album continues his pop exploration with its varied arrangement and instrumentation. The album is a snapshot of the Hanlon world - charming, naive and just a little bit different. Darren's songwriting continues to shine with his unique twist on everyday life. Glorious pop moments fill the album in "Hiccups (how to cure them)" and "Punks Not Dead (an ode to a flatmate)." The humble bike stand gets its moment in the song, in the aptly titled "Kickstand Song." Frida Eckland from Sweden takes the lead vocals duties on "Cast Of Thousands," taking delight in someone else's pain. Amongst the many highlights on the album, the trilogy of "Don't Cheat The Future," "Security Leakâ" & "That's How I Knowâ" show Darren's skewed take on the world and his ever impressive songwriting. And like he showed with "Falling Aeroplanes," Darren does the heartfelt without the saccharine on "He Misses You Too, You Know" and the wonderful closer "Last Night Of Not Knowing You." Hello Stranger is a journal of stories that Darren has gathered in recent years travelling. In the last two years he has toured the USA, UK, Sweden and Japan. Darren's live shows are simply amazing. Already he's played with the likes of Billy Bragg, Magnetic Fields, Evan Dando and Augie March. His "Early Days" Australian Tour sold out in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. "Hellos Stranger" debuted at No.15 on the ARIA Alternative Album Charts. The "Early Days" EP reached No.17 on the ARIA Alternative Charts and still remains at No. 3 on the AIR Charts after 52 weeks.