Ex-Hefner frontman Darren Hayman set himself the unenviable task of writing, recording and creating a video for a song each day in January 2011. Having been available online for a few months and their respective videos on a January Songs tumblr, the time has come for a physical release, limited to 1,500 copies. Darren has designed each sleeve individually – he’s somewhat a fan of setting himself tiresome tasks it seems.

At 31 songs long, January Songs is a collection of bleak, downbeat tracks coming in at just over 90-minutes long. It’s typical indie fare, but it does have its charm. It Was Over talks about the end of a relationship; I Know I Fucked Up, featuring Elizabeth Morris, is heartfelt; while My Dirty Widow discusses heels being knocked on caskets – did I say this was a bleak record? Who Hung The Monkey is joyful merely for the line: “Who hung the monkey/I hung the monkey.”

Apart from that handful, there aren’t many more songs that stand out. This is a record that is unlikely to be played twice, mainly due to the sheer fatigue felt when you’re so close to the end. Hayman has admitted that it is not his best work to date. This begs the question, why? Why would a songwriter release a limited edition record, spend the time to hand draw 1,500 album sleeves and yet, be the first to admit that its not up to standard?

Why should any of us care about these pieces of music when the artist clearly isn’t happy with the results? There may be a handful of depressed indie boys that will appreciate this, but many simply won’t have the time or patience for a record of this length and quality.

-Gavin Bevan-