When it comes to the incorporation of ‘noir’ into country and folk music, the reigning king of capturing the essence of that sound in this part of the world is New Zealand artist Delaney Davidson. A prolific artist both in the recording studio and on stage, he recently released his album Out Of My Head and once again he pushes at the framework and preconceptions of roots music with his brand of modern gothic Americana. 

New Zealand has a long history of making warped and dark pop music (Split Enz, Phoenix Foundation, Chris Knox) and you can hear elements of that running through Davidson’s songs as he subverts traditions and blends in obtuse rhythms and synth flavours. He’s been compared to Tom Waits and CW Stoneking but he deals in far more contemporary and progressive sounds (in that sense more comparable to Beck), making him a real chameleon in terms of never placing limitations on where his muse may take him.

Marlon Williams (the digital rock ’n’ soul of ‘Drive Me Wild’) and Reb Fountain (‘Heaven Is Falling’) both make subtle yet engaging guest appearances while ‘Dissociative From Myself’ is Buddy Holly meets T-Rex and ‘Please Baby Please’ is totally infectious in a Spoon kind of way. Melody is key across the album, underpinned by anchoring rhythms – the opening title track, and its close cousin that follows, are perfect examples. On ‘Leading You This Way’ we get a hint of how Air might have sounded if they were raised in the South Island of Aotearoa instead of France. The song’s minimal drum machine and swooning strings added a nocturnal Antipodean drama to proceedings.

‘Racing Through The Night’ takes the listener to a solemn, shadowy place where the pace is funereal, Davidson’s double tracked voice providing both a warm caress and a gentle unease. Stripped of the experimentation and obtuse elements of some of the other songs, it’s a beautifully evocative sound.

On Out Of My Head Davidson has coalesced all of his varied musical leanings into one of his most realised albums to date.