Insight & Critique
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact

Brent Brown - Vision

4/14/2015

1 Comment

 
Picture
Brent Brown

Vision
self-released; 2015

4.0 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM


By Kevin Sterne
Follow @kevinsterne
Chicago-based singer-songwriter Brent Brown is turning heads with his new album Vision—an eclectic amalgamation encompassing a wide range of genres and styles. At times he intimates a street musician singing to Redline commuters with his anthemic choruses, sing-alongs and breezy instrumentals; other times he’s a soulful pop singer à la Jason Mraz with a pinch of funk and bit of soul. 

It’s not all spoon-fed mainstream bubble gum though. Brown pulls off a convincing Sufjan Stevens impersonation with a few cinematic passages (see: “Time is in my Hands’ celestial ending complete with woodwinds and a glockenspiel), and even hints at a psychodelic pop-folk aesthetic in the vein of Of Montreal and Animal Collective. If his goal is to appeal to people his own age though, he might imitate less John Mayer and strive to be more like Bradford Cox.

Vision’s 31 flavors-approach is its greatest accomplishment and darkest retractor. Brown tries so hard to appeal to everyone—cruise ship partygoers, Potbelly lunchers and all people in between— that he fails to connect with one listener first, and because of this the album lacks necessary intimacy. 

The fourteen tracks feel like a sparse collection, not a cyclical story. By the time the listener arrives at track ten “Waiting for the Deathcab” there’s no trace of the man behind teen dream “I Got Soul.” This same exercise of comparing any two songs results in the album’s glaring deficiency: thematic cohesion. Each song may have a singular message, but never fits into a unified idea.

When Brown is on his game though, he’s hard not to notice, layering guitars, percussion, strings and keys in nearly every song. His production background shines on dense, yet simplistic tracks “Run Away with You” and “Sapphire Chimes In” where he balances each song with equal parts of restraint and inundation. 

What Brown accomplishes with every well-placed overdub at the song level, he loses in the aggregate. Call it immaturity; call it still finding a sound; but don’t discredit it. Brown has the talent, and seems to pair it with enough drive and focus. There’s little doubt he won’t improve on his next release. If anything, Vision shows he should be just fine.
official website
Tweet
1 Comment
Robert Kelly
4/13/2015 12:59:46 pm

Wow, this is really good stuff. I'll forgive the incoherence.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

       Critique/insight

    We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent  music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.

    Tweets by divideanconqer
    Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook


    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012

Company

About
Contributors

Newsletter

Newsletter
Book Your Band

© Divide and Conquer 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • DAC
  • Indie Music Album Reviews
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Top albums
  • Features
  • Contact