Stratford, Ontario born, 26-year-old Dayna Manning has two previous albums which were released by EMI Music Canada: the critically acclaimed, Juno nominated Volume 1 and its successor Shades.  She’s toured with Lilith Fair (in 1997) and the likes of Radiohead and Lisa Loeb and recorded with Sean Ono Lennon and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers; none too shabby credentials.  Dayna describes her latest album as folk pop for dreamers and I couldn’t agree more.  Released on her fresh, self-owned label (because she was tired of giving up almost everything she earned to a major), Folkyo is an accomplishment she can be truly proud of.  Dayna wrote, recorded and co-produced her new CD and also ambitiously founded DMI, her own entertainment company.  This woman will be going to some marvelous places and she even gives free advice for the lovelorn in the Lover Lover section of her official website!

Fol.Key.Oh is depicted on Dayna’s website as “An ideally perfect city in ones own judgment.  Ones own fictional city that could be designed and inhabited in any fashion the heart desires.”  As a result of all the traveling Dayna has done throughout her career she has made significant friendships with people all over the world with whom she does not have time in her day to day life to connect with on a regular basis.  She daydreamed of creating a utopian city where all those people would live together so she could see them any time and named it Folkyo.
Folkyo opens with the magical, uplifting “I Always Want To Be With You”, a country/pop number highlighted by the pleasing strains of the violin accompanied by dynamic guitar and mandolin strumming.  A more meditative, slower tempo graces the beginnings of the poetic “Gloria” until it joyfully expands into an aria of passion:

“I’ll be the Venus to your Mars
A moon for your stars
I’ll make comets fly behind your back 
I’ll make the ground soft for when you touch down
Gloria, you’re my imagination and I won’t let it come undone”

The reflective yet expansive and lovely ballad “In The Meantime” is currently experiencing well-deserved airplay on Canadian radio and the perfectly soaring pop masterpiece “Better Than” should be next.  These are songs all women can relate to and seek solace in.  “If Your Mind Changes” is a heartfelt roots rocker that Dolly Parton would have been proud to write and “What’s So Great About Her?” is a wonderfully clever, saucy dig at the mystery of celebrity no-brains, no-talent that is Paris Hilton:

“What’s so great about her?
What’s so great about a tight ass,
Sweet rack, flat ab, beautiful girl?
What’s so great about her?
You’d swear she’s in the movies they way she sparkles and shines
You strike up conversation she’s got a pea for a mind
The very same one that’s been making bumps in her bed
I swear to Mom you must be out of your freaking head”

“Pale Moon”, set against the backdrop of a lonesome New York City is an elegant acoustic ballad punctuated by the equally gorgeous violin and Chris White’s favourite “Tears” is a pulsating pop classic about unrequited love.  The somewhat tentatively mournful ballad “Peek Thru” is another moving song accentuated with violin and “Anytown” feels as if were written about me and how I feel about Kingston – definitely indication of a successful songwriter.  The penultimate track “Robot Eyes” is the most alternative song of this collection with Dayna’s prominent Rhodes and noteworthy lyrics suggesting that as soon as you can have something you won’t want it anymore.  Folkyo closes with the sad, slow end of a relationship in “I’ll Go”, a ballad beautifully infused with clarinet, violin, bass and drums.

I love Ms Manning’s music, her style and her lyrics and I look forward with anticipation to the evening she graces Kingston with her presence.  Hopefully for us music lovers, that won’t be too far off.

www.daynamanning.com
www.myspace.com/daynamanning

Christine Bode
c.bode@partyinkingston.com