"Someone will start telling me about something that happened to them, and the incident will seem significant enough to me as a universal common denominator that I decide to write a tune about it," says Danny Krause, who sings and plays guitar both solo and with a band called the Disappointments. Krause has a way with language, managing to recount tales in a personal way without sounding self-absorbed, which makes him rise above the typical sad bastard, who just sounds whiney. Anyone who's worked a service job can relate to "American Disgrace," inspired by Krause's experience as a waiter. "Falling Backwards" chronicles a well-intentioned guy's attempt to be a perfect boyfriend while slipping at every turn. Krause plays a twelve-string guitar, and though sets with the Disappointments are loud and full-bodied, his solo shows have a more folky feel, the absence of distraction providing a cathartic kind of intensity. It goes without saying that audience members don't chatter through the shows -- the lyrics resonate too much for sorrow-drowning listeners to shut him out.
