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Paul Brill:
Sisters EP & LP
Paul Brill's first record, Halve the Light, was a unique fusion of alt-country twang and melodic power-pop. Brimming with great hooks and beautiful vocals, the album showed great promise but lacked the depth or production values of a bona-fide classic. On his two new releases, Sisters, Brill shows that his musical ambitions are of the highest order and that his abilities are strong enough to realize them. The collections of songs on the two records are separated by atmosphere into the energetic Sisters LP and the melancholy Sisters EP. The LP is the stronger and more daring of the two records. Brill deepens and strengthens the influences and instrumentation of his music by adding elements of world music, classical, blues, and jazz to his beloved Americana roots/pop blend. One gets the sense that Brill is a man surrounded by so much amazing music of every conceivable genre that he is just struggling to be able to put into song all the disparate sounds he hears in his head. The most striking change in his music is a shift in emphasis from Halve the Light's country/bluegrass fiddle work to more nuanced and lyrical classical violin. The violin underlies the entire album but is especially well used in "Begin at the End," the album opener that gets things rolling with an opening volley of Spanish solo classical guitar work and an almost Buddhist lyrical exhortation to remember that "happiness begins after all desire ends." Also notable is "Spit and Spite," a poignant waltz that melds a gorgeous violin solo with tuba accentuation. Other styles referenced include the jump-blues horn arrangements of Two Stars, the Morphine-dark falsetto blues of "Westering," the virtuoso finger-picking of "Barefoot in the Snow," and the album standout, Macon, which has a carnival jazz Tin Pan Alley hook, pedal-steel driven verses, a textured trumpet solo and a rousing sing-along "da da da da" finale. However, fans of Halve the Light should not lament any loss of Brill's knack for melody; at all times, he retains both his pop sensibility and above all his ability to craft perfectly melodic choruses and hooks, as shown on Skylight and the slow-burner Something to Get Along. The world influences simply flesh out and give depth to these arrangements. For the Sake of Marjorie Ruth is an old-fashioned rousing country barnburner sure to delight those who are more partial to the twang. On the opposite atmospheric spectrum lies the Sisters EP, recorded with different musicians in a different session. This album is sparse and subtle with a focus on acoustic arrangements (plus the occasional pedal-steel lick) and lyrical depth. The opening "Basement Song" is a morose tale of a relationship going nowhere ("You learn that moving backwards is better than no movement at all"), while "Gold Rush" is a hauntingly sad yet beautiful meditation on broken dreams. This is a classic rainy-day record for those in need of a good wallow. The EP ends with a simple acoustic arrangement of a favorite from Halve the Light, "Caroline," leaving the listener with a bittersweet feeling. With these two records, Brill has proven himself to be an accomplished songwriter deserving of more recognition on a national level. He has a rare gift for capturing melody in a wide range of musical styles, and he uses this gift to portray diverse moods in a striking way. His ambitions are huge, but he does not overreach. Seek him out now, lest fame and acclaim turn him into another musical prodigy saddled with a pretentious ego (see Ryan Adams).
You can purchase music by Paul Brill at Amazon & Insound LEFT OFF THE DIAL's Paul Brill page About LOTD Contact/Staff Advertise Home All content © LEFT OFF THE DIAL 2001-2005. All rights reserved. |
