John Brannen
The Good Thief
Sly Dog Records (Detroit)
By Zach Peterson
 Let's
get the obvious out of the way. John Brannen sounds like Bruce
Springsteen. He has similar nasally vocals and, at times, it
can be difficult to understand what he's saying. Nonetheless,
Brannen is a songwriter of considerable strength and a singer
and guitarist of high merit.
The Good Thief is Brannen's fourth official recording
and his first for Mack Avenue Records of Detroit's new spin-off
label, Sly Dog. The South Carolinian rocker was the perfect choice
for the fledgling venture.
Thief is a gritty record filled with rock and roll
songs steeped in the rhythm and blues tradition made complete
with intelligent lyrics. Brannen and Pete Carr (Bob Seger's Silver
Bullet Band) share both production and guitar duties. The production
is slick, but doesn't hinder the bluesy spirit of the songs.
A mix of acoustic guitars, electric riffs and lead lines couple
with dabs of piano, Hammond B-3 and Wurlitzer, and are backed
by a solid rhythm section. Background singers are present on
several tracks-enhancing rather than distracting from the songs.
The sound is reminiscent of some of Steve Winwood's late-1980s
and early-1990s records minus the synthesizers.
Three-fourths of the songs are co-written by Jack Tempchin
("Peaceful Easy Feeling"). Brannen and Tempchin make
a strong songwriting pair. "Summer in Savannah" captures
a muggy night on the Georgia coast.
It's summer in Savannah/down the Geechee Way
The sun burns like a blister/on the sands of Tybee Bay
Beneath this swamp of sky/where heaven can be reached
The clouds are windswept/colors of strawberry and peach
"Lost Angels" is a vignette of a man following his
love to be "sanctified" and "satisfied" where
the "lost angels" go. Like many of these twelve songs,
"Lost Angels" is a tale of love and spiritual longing.
The physical and the spiritual are working out their differences.
And perhaps there's no difference at all. The importance lies
in the search rather than the find.
This dichotomy is presented best in "When I'm Satisfied,"
the only song credited solely to Brannen. He sings:
I see pagan skies/hallelujah hair in my eyes
I'll dream myself a new disguise
There's no one left to idolize
Searching for the promise land
From Hollywood to Birmingham
I don't even understand/when I'm satisfied
The secret of The Good Thief is its mix of informed
lyrics with a varied, engaging musical backdrop. These are songs
about love and relationships with more lying under the surface
worth repeated listens to discover.
www.johnbrannen.com
Contact Zach Peterson at zapper-at-rockzilla.net
|
