Brent Windler “New Morning Howl”
Kansas City musician Brent Windler (Sons of Great Dane) explores an expansive sound in his new solo album. With a nod to alt-country influences and Brian Wilson-styled harmonies, this is an atmospheric slice of Americana that sounds great. Most impressive is the opener “Around The Bend,” a shimmering melody that immediately sticks to your head, and it’s the album’s shining high point. The follow-up “My Josephine” is a sweet mid-tempo ballad that features echoing slide guitar notes across elegant strings that build to a dense wall-of-sound coda. Brent gets even more intimate with cascading harmonies over acoustics on “Spanish Jasmine.” And that expansive lushness is also shown on the instrumental “Can You Sleep Tonight Under Lightning Bug Skies.”
The strings, harmonies, and atmospheric textures on the title track, and a few others make for pleasant listening, but the lack of hooks on the album’s second half is concerning. A comparison to the Beach Boys Sunflower-era is the strumming majesty of “Empathy and Those Forgotten Victories” and the final song “In My Daze” puts it all together with another epic track. Overall enough here to get a high recommendation. Listen with nice noise-canceling headphones for the best results.
Amazon | Kool Kat Musik | Goldstar Recordings (Bandwear)
Scott Warren “Shadow Bands”
Is that Colorado singer-songwriter Scott Warren or is it Liam Gallagher? Adding a touch of Beatle-influenced psychedelia, the opener “Press Reset On The World” blends a little “I Am The Walrus,” a little Oasis strut, and thickly layered rhythm section into a bold statement that really rocks. Warren is joined by Brian Young and Mark Crozer (The Jesus and Mary Chain) who support Scott’s perfectly fuzzy riffs. The upbeat “Left Out Of The Joke” has an almost glam feel, with the chugging riff and laid-back vibe.
Warren slows the pace on “Bury It Down” about the pain of Covid isolation, “I don’t look so bad, but I feel run down” with a sunny refrain, it’s another gem. The mood gradually sours even more on “Regret” punctuated by smooth guitar riffs. And those riffs take the lead on “Chemical Trails” with a trippy lyric and psych-pop rhythm. “In The Devil’s Key” slowly marches with menace and brilliantly grooves along with dissonant chords. The ballads are contemplative and emotional, “She Walked Away From It” being the better example. No real duds here, even the acoustic instrumental “Winter Spring” is like peeling back an onion. Overall, a terrific album that gets better with each listen. It makes my top ten list for 2021. Highly Recommended.
