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Daniel Lanois – Belladonna Nocturne

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What does it sound like?:

Daniel Lanois is not a name many civilians will recognise but he’s had a stellar career in the music business. He learnt the penny whistle when he was nine and then the pedal steel guitar, despite living in Hull, Ontario, about as far from the Deep South as it is possible to be in the Americas. He found his calling aged seventeen, recording local bands with his brother Robert in his mum’s basement. The particular acoustics attracted a lot of custom from gospel singers to country artists. Soon, they had earned enough to buy an old Victorian house and convert it into Grant Avenue Studios. One of his clients was Martha and The Muffins, who made an international splash, catching the ear of Brian Eno and Harold Budd. They were impressed by the unorthodox nature of the studio, its atmosphere and innovative layout.

Eno found a kindred spirit. Lanois has a production style that is all about ambience and atmosphere. He makes music sound beautiful. However, it isn’t ambient in the Eno sense. Lanois does not make records that are to passively play in a room, barely noticed. He wants people to pay attention. Eno likes surprises and to push artists to the edge. Lanois embraces experiment and strives to be different and outstanding. Eno is not a trained musician whereas Lanois is. The two of them interlock perfectly. Their partnership flourished and reached an early peak with Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks. U2 came calling and created their best selling albums with their production and ideas. Lanois became in demand for his skills without Eno, producing important albums by Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, among others. Dylan is especially interesting about him in his book Chronicles Volume 1.

Now, approaching seventy-five years old, he is re-evaluating his life’s work. In 2005, he made the deeply personal instrumental album, Belladonna, inspired by a visit to Mexico, and this is its sister, a continuation of its themes. On Belladonna Nocturne, Lanois revisits his archive, with his expanded box of tricks, to refresh his ideas and techniques and make something new and better. Back then, he called upon several musicians, including Brad Mehldau. This time, he plays everything himself apart from drums, Brian Blade, and bass, Daryl Johnson. Emmylou Harris contributes some wordless whale song. There are fourteen pieces. These, like its sister’s, are abstract soundscapes in a variety of moods and textures, perhaps reflecting the poisonous effects of deadly nightshade: blurred vision, hallucinations, delirium, convulsions and coma. Melody is absent or elusive. A few could have found a place on Another Green World. Some might be useful as a soundbed in TV or film. It all sounds gorgeous, from the rippling percussion of Inside The Walls Of Pueblo and its contemplative Spanish guitar, to the glacial beauty of Snow Lake and the warped pedal steel of Silver Orchestra. When Blade is given licence to use his whole kit, it verges into dissonant jazz. There is plenty of his beloved slide guitar in unusual settings and he is like an excited child when he discovers a new noise he can deploy.

Belladonna Nocturne showcases his unique sonic palette and is very easy on the ear, but it’s as low-key as his previous solo albums and not so easy to engage with. His agent could use it as a calling card to demonstrate his client’s production skills.

What does it all *mean*?

It’s great that Lanois is creating new music. He has certainly earned the right to please himself, but, in the final analysis, Lanois is much better at bringing out the best in other people’s compositions.

Goes well with…

A keen sense of curiosity.

Release Date:

19/06/2026

Might suit people who like…

The magic of Daniel Lanois. You already have to be under his spell.

10

Comments

  3. Ooh I love those Lanois albums. I’m in. His production is quite unique and immediately recognisable and one of his conditions for involvement in a project is in actually playing with the band. I recall reading an interview where he talked about a project where it didn’t work ar all – Dylan maybe? Lanois isn’t a “are the tapes rolling” style producer – he’s more like a sculptor, shaping and moulding until something is perfect not in an “Aha” way – he likes rough edges – but sonically engaging again and again.

    I’m not surprised Eno attached himself to Lanois, he must have found it interesting seeing what a real producer does.

  4. There was a time where I loved anything Daniel Lanois touched. Some of my favourite albums have his fingerprints all over them. I bought and liked Acadia but have failed to keep up with his work much past that. Today’s listening is sorted – catch up on his work.

  5. I’ve dipped in and out of his stuff since Acadie which I still listen to occasionally. Patchy is the word that springs to mind although I never find his shtick lacking in interest. I may or may not listen to this. I’m a fickle sort, a gadfly.

  6. Acadie is a wonderful album I think. For the Beauty of Wynona and Shine have their moments (the title track of the latter is lovely) but I haven’t listened much since. His production in the 80s and 90 especially is all over several of my favourite albums of that time – Wrecking Ball, Robbie Robertson, Achtung Baby, Oh Mercy, Yellow Moon – it’s a hell of a run.

  7. Nice write up. Small correction, Hull is in Quebec, other side of the Ottawa River from me. But he later moved to Hamilton, Ontario I believe.

    I generally enjoy his production style, even if he goes too far sometimes. Haven’t heard much of his own music but it didn’t really click with me. Saw him live last year when he sat in with a band at the Ottawa Bluesfest and sang a few tunes.

  8. I have a few of D.L.’s albums each one played and replayed several times.

    I don’t have any Brian Eno music, what I’ve heard supermarket music comes to mind but that’s my, opinion, OOAA.

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