Album Notes

"Dan Bryk’s fun, bouncy and upbeat new CD, Discount Store, showcases his talent in writing catchy, memorable lyrics that will have listeners remembering songs and singing them to themselves as they would commercial jingles." -Southeast Performer

"Discount Store displays the same blend of acerbic wit, earnest banality and soaring melodicism that made his 2000 LP, Lover's Leap, a bona fide cult classic. [Top 35 of 2007]" -Raleigh Independent

"It's been almost eight years since Mississauga's Dan Bryk gave us his brilliant and near-perfect power pop masterpiece Lovers Leap, and while his fans await the upcoming (?) release of the follow-up Pop Psychology, we'll have to settle for Discount Store, his latest EP to tide us over. And what an unmitigated tease it is! Bryk is clearly entering his Brian Wilson / Van Dyke Parks phase, as more complicated and lush arrangements seem to be replacing some of the more raw and unrefined edges of Lovers Leap. The signature self-effacing wit, pop sensibilities, and warbly voice remain as quirky as ever, however - thank goodness!" -Meta:ball

"Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Bryk isn’t so much folksy as he is popsy—if such a word exists. Bryk brings a highbrow-pop verve to many of these seven songs beginning with the chipper title track which is simple yet elegant at the same time. “Normal”, however, only heightens that vibe with an XTC-ish flavor from beginning to end as his keyboard works a bit of magic. Perhaps the biggest hit on this EP is the catchy and hook-riddled “Put That Boy Away”, sounding as if it’s something Bryk struck gold with after hours and hours playing with his Casio keyboard..." -PopMatters

"Dan Bryk has an old-school pop sense grounded in the golden age, when the Kinks, Beach Boys and Beatles created the template for layered, ornate and well-crafted catchiness. But what saves Bryk from musty nostalgia is a lyrical persona firmly grounded in the 21st century. Discount Store has contagiously catchy songs written and sung from the perspective of a not-normal guy observant enough to notice details both small (the signature on inspection forms in elevators) and large (the fact that everyone but him seems to have benefits and central air)." -Raleigh News and Observer

"The songwriter assembles a collection of smartass piano pop that’s full of self-deprecating wit and cynical humor. Ben Folds or Randy Newman would be obvious comparisons, but that wouldn’t do a whole lot to highlight the way the songs on Discount Store aren’t afraid to let a guitar come up in the mix... If Bryk keeps writing songs this catchy and entertaining, he might just find himself mattering after all." -The Daily Tar Heel

"The sappy, romantic lyrics are no better than those of any of today’s top-40 artists. Bryk’s songs are destined to end up being played on the next Gap or American Eagle soundtrack... catchy enough to listen to while you’re browsing for a pair of jeans, but they get annoying before too long." -The Muse Online