All of you should be familiar with Brian Vander Ark; if not his name, you undoubtedly are aware of his previous band, The Verve Pipe, which produced the monster hit "The Freshman" in 1997. Now, one of the smartest and most vital songwriters around, Brian Vander Ark has released his third astounding solo effort (self-titled).
This time out, Brian Vander Ark has recruited producer Bill Szymczyk, who has worked with everyone from The Who to The Eagles. Unlike the gritty post-grunge sound of Verve Pipe, Brian's solo efforts are typically acoustic coffeehouse affairs. Thankfully, with rare exception, he continues in this style for the third time out. The style is perfectly tailored to his thought-provoking lyrics and emotive, mildly raspy vocals. It is difficult to find tracks on any BVA release that are not engaging and screaming for an instant replay.
As expected, the production on this release is outstanding - crisp and clean acoustic guitars, beautifully placed piano and orchestration, vocals at just the right volume. Standouts include "And Then We Fell", "Little Man" (wonderful lyric; "there are no ordinary lives"), "Lily White Way", and one of the most honest love songs ever, "Optimism's Glow".
BVA has done it again. Fans of Glen Phillips, Aimee Mann, and Peter Stuart take note. And if you like what you hear, pick up his previous two releases as well.
iPOD-worthy: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Brian Vander Ark on MySpace. Official site.
1 comment:
you can buy and sample all three of Brian's records at: http://www.secondmotionrecords.com
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