So Much More
Posted over 2 years ago
http://www.myspace.com/brettdennenDennen's MySpace Page. Check it out. And the Daily OM Music Review is provided below.April 11, 2007So Much MoreBrett Dennen 2006"West Coast folk musician Brett Dennen boasts a fair, youthful face, but his voice seems to speak for wide experience. Both old and young, man and woman, Dennen's is the rare voice that can't be pinned down. He sings golden folk-pop with great soul and a jazzy, shifting cadence. Some critics have compared his chords to Billie Holiday, though he also takes influence from weathered folk singers like Bob Dylan and Tracy Chapman. On So Much More, Dennen's second full-length album, the singer also proves himself as a fine and consistent songwriter, penning spare, breezy tunes that frame and bolster his wonderful voice. With low-key arrangements and a cool summertime sound-complemented by the occasional slide guitar of bluesman Keb' Mo'-So Much More is the perfect soundtrack to reflective, sun-soaked days at home."Ain't No Reason" opens the album with a loose, ambling groove and a loopy, familiar melody. Cooing on top, Dennen's voice sounds opaque, androgynous, and deliciously supple: "People walk around pushing back their deaths / Wearing paychecks like necklaces and bracelets." The song, an observational requiem for a corrupted culture, feels like somebody's musings from a distant perch as the world scurries about below. But Dennen's perspective is never defeatist, and the songs pivots around the refrain "Love will come set me free."Within his simple folk-pop framework, Dennen finds room to touch upon diverse musical interests. "Darlin' Do Not Fear" sparkles with light electric guitar and polyrhythmic textures reminiscent of African pop. Here, Dennen seems enamored of fluid wordplay, delivering verbose and literate lyrics of reassurance, though the tune returns to the simple, honest chorus, "Darlin' do not fear / What you don't really know." Meanwhile "Someday" takes subtle inspiration from reggae-pop in its clean, rocking sound. As warm Hammond organ fills the air, Dennen's soulful, mellifluous vocals rise to the surface in a chorus of hope and dewy-eyed determination: "Someday / Someday / In a cloud of gray / I will / I'll make my great escape." Ultimately, Dennen's singing voice is his greatest strength-a seductive and impassioned instrument-but he is also a cunning and intelligent songwriter, crafting modest jewels that shine and shimmer."
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