ARTiST: Brett Dennen
TiTLE: So Much More
LABEL: Dualtone
GENRE: Acoustic
TiME: 48:27 min
SiZE: 62,5 MB
BiTRATE: VBRkbps
RiP DATE: Aug-28-2006
RELEASE DATE: Sep-19-2006
WEBSiTE: n/a
Track List:
01. Ain't No Reason 03:38
02. There Is So Much More 05:05
03. Darlin' Do Not Fear 05:11
04. Because You Are A Woman 04:10
05. She's Mine 04:32
06. The One Who Loves You The Most 05:00
07. I Asked When 06:18
08. When You Feel It 04:48
09. So Long Sweet Misery 05:57
10. Someday 03:48
Release Notes:
Every now and then an artist emerges on the scene as
if fully formed. The voice is distinct, immediate in
its character. The songs feel like they truly belong
to the singer. A level of self-possession animates
the performances, delivers them right to your
doorstep. Nothing feels forced . . . it just is.
ThereÆs an aura of inevitability that surrounds the
emergence of such artists. With the release of So
Much More, Brett Dennen joins the ranks of those who
fit this description. Others? Joni Mitchell. Rufus
Wainwright. James Taylor. Patty Griffin. Steve
Earle. John Mayer. ItÆs a class of artists defined
not by genre or by a level of success but by the
character of their entrance. We open the door when
they appear, and itÆs as if we were expecting them.
No doubt, none of them have wanted to be described
in such weighty terms. But itÆs not up to them. ItÆs
up to those of us on the receiving end to pass such
judgments and to celebrate the occasion. In this
case, IÆm happy to do so. Welcome, Brett Dennen.
WeÆre glad you showed up. Come on in.
When I first heard Brett, I was caught in traffic
with two crying children in the backseat, both of
whom were desperate to escape their vehicular
imprisonment. I had an advance CD of So Much More,
popped it into the player, and was immediately in
debt to Brett Dennen. The collective mood in that
vehicle lifted. That was the first good sign. But as
my passengers quieted down and our minds moved
toward the music, I started to realize that
something was happening. I got that rare and
wonderful the-show-has-just-begun feeling, like I
was hearing for the first time an artist who will be
with me for a while. ThereÆs a sense of promise, of
a creative life to come, that hovers around So Much
More, like you already know thereÆs going to be
fireworks down the road. When I looked back at my
older son, he asked, ôWhich Beatle is this?ö HeÆs
three years old, and if something sounds good to
him, no matter the genre, he figures the Fab Four
must be involved. It was his way of letting me know
that it wasnÆt just me, we were all having an
experience.
BrettÆs Dualtone debut has a bare bones aesthetic,
underpinned by a kind of unassuming, elemental funk.
His band, beautifully locked in and occasionally
augmented by the likes of Keb Mo and
multi-instrumental wizard Greg Leisz, manages to
transmit a stunning range of textures without
sacrificing the musicÆs open spaces. The first
track, ôAinÆt No Reason,ö opens with only the sounds
of BrettÆs guitar and voice. Just the way it should.
His guitar playing, a hybrid of finger picking and
soul-inspired rhythm with shades of Robbie Robertson
and Ry Cooder, is the center around which the band
situates itself when it enters in the second verse.
BrettÆs vocal phrasing and lyric craft are as
sophisticated as BeckÆs best efforts without any
kind of pretension weighing things down. By the
chorus of that first song, the production moves into
a sweetness that matches the songÆs spirit and what
is finally BrettÆs spirit, too. If you get that far,
I promise you will listen on. This is a singer so at
home in his songs that he pulls you in there with
him. So Much More is a collection of tunes that
plays like a single. It unfolds so naturally, with
such an organic feel to the song sequence, that we
get to the end not because we decided to but because
thatÆs where the first song led us. It unfolds, that
is, like an intimate conversation.
Some of the key tastemakers at contemporary radio,
KCRW in Los Angeles and WXPNÆs World CafΘ out of
Philly, both latched onto Brett at the time of his
self-released first recording. KCRWÆs Chris Douridas
put it thus: ôRarely does music come along so
unadorned, so pure in spirit, and so eloquently
written.ö BrettÆs songs came to them not through
indie promoters but through word of mouth. ItÆs easy
enough to imagine all the little rooms at radio that
grew bigger when BrettÆs music came through the air.
Not knowing I was writing this bio, a friend of mine
called after catching Brett play live. I didnÆt let
on that I already knew a little something about
Brett. ôMan, thereÆs a kid out there who travels
around with his guitar, sometimes with a drummer,
and he just kind of opens his mouth and . . . well .
. . you should hear this kid.ö ItÆs the kind of
report that doesnÆt tell you much. But the voices of
those who carry the message, thatÆs the hook.
SomethingÆs up.
And something is indeed up. On the eve of So Much
MoreÆs release, Brett is opening shows for John
Mayer and Sheryl Crow, has already played on the
Dave Matthews Cruise Tour and on bills at Bonnaroo
and Bumbershoot, and is selling out shows in towns
where heÆs playing for the first time. But Brett
continues to operate like an itinerant, a man in the
troubadour tradition, taking the gigs wherever they
might be. Brett DennenÆs lineage leads back to
characters like Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie,
guys who were always hot to get out of town and
always left with a guitar in tow. And, on some
level, his writing and performing leads back to
those same figures. He uses his God-given voice to
sing the songs heÆs got to sing. It just so happens
that he has skills as a song craftsman that also
bring him in the company of folks like Paul Simon,
those who, simply put, create new traditions if the
ones they need donÆt yet exist.
ôThere is So Much More,ö unabashedly beautiful,
reflects BrettÆs greatest gift as a songwriter, his
ability to work with one foot in a tradition
associated with social protest while the other foot
is in the love song tradition. The effect is
altogether convincing, leaving us with the sense
that we have on our hands a performer for whom the
personal is always political and the political is
always personal. In an age in which we have grown
weary of artistsÆ conveniently detachable political
asides, itÆs galvanizing to see an artist weaving
together his emotional and political commitments.
BrettÆs work with the Mosaic Project underscores his
commitment to the marriage of music and change.
Songs such as ôDarling Do Not Fearö and ôWhen You
Feel It You Knowö give us both a Brett Dennen in
love with polyrhythms and the joyful noise of a band
playing in and with the pocket. Throughout So Much
More the pot over the musical fire remains big
enough to throw most any ingredient in there. You
can almost hear the band making this the object of
their collective musical pleasure. Produced by Kevin
McCormick, the recording features musicians who have
previously played with everyone from Jackson Browne
to Iggy Pop. Scott Thurston, a current member of Tom
Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Mario Calire of the
Wallflowers and Ozomalti both join Brett.
Percussionist Luis Conte, veteran of projects with
artists from Arturo Sandoval to Queen Latifah,
lights up the grooves across this disc. The result
is the sound of people having the time of their
lives playing great songs. To the listener, itÆs
infectious.
This is a recording that is going to have people
talking. This is an artist who will never get out
there and sell himself, simply because he isnÆt
interested and, more importantly, he wonÆt need to.
ThereÆs no resisting the beautiful moment when a
character like this comes walking toward us. Prepare
to open your doors. This is the kind of guest we all
hope for.