You’ve likely never heard of Dan Penn and, if that’s the case, one reason is probably that you’re not the sort of person who reads songwriting credits. If you were, you’d know this Alabama native from the many popular songs he has written or co-written: the Box Tops’ “Cry Like a Baby,” Janis Joplin’s “A Woman Left Lonely,” Clarence Carter’s “Slippin’ Around,” Aretha Franklin’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” James Carr’s “Dark End of the Street” and James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet,” to name just several.

Penn is at least as good a singer as he is a writer, but another reason you likely haven’t heard of him is that he hasn’t exactly focused on recording, much less self-promotion. Living on Mercy, which came out in 2020, was his first all-new collection of material since he debuted nearly half a century earlier with 1973’s Nobody’s Fool. It was also his first studio production since 1995’s Do Right Man.

The wait for more fresh recordings from Penn continues. Meanwhile, though, we have Smoke Filled Room, an April 17, 2026, 11-track collection of demos selected by him from his archives.

These tunes, all written or co-written by Penn, are not among the ones that have made him a legend among performers. Though soul singer Irma Thomas recorded Smoke Filled Room’s title track on a 1992 album called True Believer, most, if not all, of the other material here has not seen the light of day until now. That’s rather amazing, because numbers like “One Blue Light,” “There’s Nothing Out There,” and “Battling the Blues” sound like classics plucked from the Stax/Volt catalog.

Also amazing are Penn’s intimate, emotionally intense vocal performances. With sparse backup, his soulful voice is constantly front and center, and what a rich and emotive voice it is. When he sings, he pulls you into his world and makes you believe every line.

Never heard of Dan Penn? You have now.

The album is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.