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Paul Brill: Halve The Light
Alt-country is currently making a comeback in the form of
artists who draw on influences from all across the musical spectrum.
And New Yorks Paul Brill does this better than any alt-country artist
out there right now, including the critics darling, Ryan Adams. Brills latest effort, Halve The Light, emerges from
a beautiful blend of influences including bluegrass, folk, 60s pop,
Americana, and more. All these
sounds are present here, but the backbone that unites the discs eight tracks
is Brills voice, which is so sweet that it makes you want to pinch his cheek.
The heartbreaker-type opening track, Maybelline, has Brills
sugary voice accompanied by a small chorus of backup singers and diverse
instrumentation. Bad Medicine
Night has a similar sound and ends poppier than it begins with a chorus of
da-da-s. This leads nicely
into Start It Again, where you can here that 60s pop influence
mentioned above. Brills vocals
go up a bit here, and the song is easily the happiest one in the collection, as
he sings to us, If I were a preacher, Id pardon everyone.
Halve The Light then takes a turn for folk and
bluegrass with Caroline, one of the discs shortest but greatest tracks.
The songs opening notes are reminiscent of the great Uncle Tupelo but
somehow with a slight euro-folk edge, bringing to mind that bluegrass is never a
far cry from certain types of European folk music. The songs heavy use of the
mandolin and fiddle give it a light, happy feel.
Another track, Dry Ice hails from the more alternative side of
alt-country. The only long-winded
tracks that slow down the disc are Love Survives Us All and the closing
title track, yet Brills voice keeps you wanting to listen anyway. Paul Brill has written an impressive collection of well-crafted songs and has assembled a group of talented musicians to bring them to life. Halve The Light does well as a representation of the musical melting pot currently at the heart of alt-country.
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