Published on Jan 16, 2015
This release is a children's concdept album that tells the story of Jimmy and Lulu, a brother and sister duo that reside in an enchanted forest. Dani received a whole lot of praise for this album and also picked up some awards along the way. The title Beauty Land stems from where the siblings daydream about escaping to after being held captive by a witch. It ends up being a journey to get to Beauty Land, and the songs illustrate the duo's adventure with hand clapping and sing-a-longs for children and adults.
'Intro" starts off with a fantasty-like feeling that gears the listener up for the story to follow. "Skipping Through The Woods" is the first formal song and is a quick shuffling tune with a barnyard feel that starts the tale off with a fun vibe complete with hand clapping prompts. "Strange Little Witch" follows with its nostalgic feel and more obvious storytelling, and next up is the title track, which finds Dani mixing elegant singing that moves into an upbeat country-pop song that wouldn't be out of place on the radio today.
Ultimately, Dani's versatility is her ultimate strength. While songs like "Jimmy And The Giant" with its simplistic lyrics and chorus are geared for the youngsters, the grand vocal harmonizing of "Magic Witch" and retro, jazz feel of "Mrs. Blues" would appeal to any musician who appreciates strong song craft. On tracks like "Mountain King," Dani gets a little weird in a fuzzy and almost prog-like fashion, but she's also versed at acoustic numbers like the gentle "Run And Fly" and the lush "Ocean."
Musically, Dani isn't too far off from luminaries like Tori Amos or Kate Bush if they were to find their inner pop-rock self – and if they were to sing songs about giants, witches, and kings with a fairy tale atmosphere. Like any good art that is aimed at the little ears, there's plenty here that adults will embrace, too.