Written
by Frank McClure, posted by blog admin
The
outstanding debut from Portsmouth, UK born Ben Brookes, The Motor Car & The
Weather Balloon, recalls a time in rock and pop music when young artists
aspired to more than just pandering for commercial attention. If this album
scores commercially, Brookes can feel satisfied that his music has succeeded on
its own terms rather than regurgitating the music and poses of others. It
certainly succeeds artistically and the ten songs comprising its running order
never subject listeners to a single second of filler. Brookes’ considerable
talents have drawn the attention of some truly gifted veteran musicians; Mark
Healey of Badfinger fame produced the effort and further contributions from
Badfinger guitarist Joey Molland, keyboardist Greg Inhofer, and drummer Michael
Bland illustrate how seasoned performers with sterling credits in their past
are attracted to Brookes’ obvious talents. It makes for a thrilling listen and
the cross pollination of American and English influences helps shape the
release into something truly special.
“I
Wanna Go Home” begins the album on a confident, bright note with a lyric that
hints at deeper discontent and a musical arrangement that pushes back against
those darker shadows. Brookes’ vocals here, and elsewhere, sound fully engaged
with each passage and he shows excellent instincts for when to push his voice
and when to relax and let the music speak for itself. “Integration (Not Segregation)”
is one of the few instances on the album where Brookes indulges himself with
some outright social commentary, but it isn’t ripped verbatim from the headlines
and has more staying power as a statement than most as a result of that choice.
The song has a generous amount of electric guitar, but it is part of a general
trend dominating the album’s first half where acoustic guitar holds a greater sway
over the album’s sound. The track “Asleep in Galilee” riffs on traditional
English pop rock themes while managing to invoke, as well, a bluesy edge that
will resurface later in the album. This seemingly improbable mix of English pop
rock with near Americana makes it one of the album’s more successful tracks and
elicits a truly memorable vocal from Brookes.
“Before
Sunlight” is a deeply affecting number thanks, once more, to the melodic gifts
that Brookes shows off throughout the course of this release. It features, as
well, one of the album’s better lyrics and it matches up rather nicely with the
aforementioned melody. Brookes really demonstrates his vocal talents with this
one and follows the melody with sure handed confidence that makes it a great
listening experience. The rock punch of “Stories in the Rain” and “Somewhere
Around Eight” never feel like they stretch the boundaries of belief; Brookes is
just as compelling of a performer as on the album’s lighter numbers and has a
convincing jagged edge he’s capable of bringing to bear on songs like this. The
album finishes up with “Shackles”, a song depending on the interplay between
acoustic and electric guitar for much of its musical spark, and the lyrical
themes close things with introspective flair. It’s a powerful release from the
first song to last.
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