That opening chorus is the thesis statement that explains why Dan Mangan’s debut, Nice, Nice, Very Nice still works seven years later. It’s a shame we don’t hear a lot of music like this anymore. It’s a shame people don’t make a lot of this anymore.

It’s hard to find a Canadian who isn’t into Dan Mangan. Last year, he had another breakout record with Blacksmith called Club Meds. But Nice, Nice, Very Nice is the one that started it all.

I found myself re-listening to it this week when Apple Music claimed the album was “new”. That was giggle-worthy, but I revisited the record anyway. And it’s worth another listen. It’s a great reminder of how far Dan Mangan has come, but also how great of a songwriter Mangan is.

The record has aged surprisingly well, although I think the fun tracks that garnered recognition in 2009 (like “Robots” are less interesting than the more personal tracks. I love “Road Regrets” (the afore-mentioned opening track) and “You Silly Git” or “Tina’s Glorious Comeback” (among others) because of their personal lyrics.

But none of the tracks are weak. It’s just an impeccable album from start to finish. Circumstances are totally different, but it reminds me in spirit of Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago: an inauspicious debut that nobody could have predicted would go this far.

Nobody’s going to give me an award for writing about how great Nice, Nice, Very Nice is in 2016. But it’s worth revisiting. And if you’ve never heard of it before, it’s not too late to listen to it the first time. Dan Mangan’s debut full-length record remains the beautiful album you remember it as.

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The River and Lost Dogfights are also great songs, with Lost Dogfights being particularly beautiful. There’s a choir in the background and a piano that has the same sort of bounce-y vibe Trent Reznor would record for a film soundtrack (actually, it reminds me a lot of piano lines from The Social Network Soundtrack). Despite taking influence from so many different places, one thing The Darcys isn’t short on is identity — and that’s a great thing. Rdio has an exclusive bonus track (they also had an early release), at least in Canada, called Ultra Violet. That track, along with the rest of the album, is worth a listen if you can find it (it’s not available on Youtube). Great stuff.

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