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Brett Dennen seems to be growing into his voice. High-pitched, fragile, and delicate, at times sounding eerily like Tracy Chapman or Billie Holiday, that voice, at first anyway, can be distracting, drawing attention away from his airy, melodic, and carefully written songs, although that voice hasn't kept his first four albums from drawing a lot of critical acclaim and attention. On this, his fifth full-length release, which follows the African rhythms and pop veneer of 2011's Loverboy, Dennen's vocals seem stronger and more certain, and the new songs, although well in line with what he's been writing all along, also seem to have accepted a simpler, easier template, and the sometimes ornate lyrics and phrasing that have kept a song or two from breathing in the past are largely absent here. Working with producer Charlie Peacock in Nashville, and featuring bassist Mark Hill, guitarist Jerry McPherson, drummer Aaron Sterling, and background vocalist Ruby Amanfu, Smoke and Mirrors has fewer pop touches and more of an acoustic backdrop than his previous album, all of which allows this new set of songs to breathe, and Dennen sings them well, sounding at times more like Jason Mraz and less like Jimmy Scott. The production is warm and wide, and sparse in all the right ways, giving songs like the opener, the bouncy "Sweet Persuasion," and the first single, the singalong "Wild Child," a sturdy feel, more joyous and feisty than fragile and delicate. Another highlight, the infectious "When We Were Young," sounds like a classic Tom Petty song, albeit with a higher-pitched lead vocal. In all, this outing is perhaps Dennen's strongest so far, with a warm and easy acoustic feel to it.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
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Tim Lauer, Organ - Ruby Amanfu, Background Vocals - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Bells, Engineer, Electric Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums, Percussion - Mark Hill, Bass - Sam Ashworth, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Lauer, Organ - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - MANNY MARROQUIN, Masterer - Charlie Peacock, Additional Drums, Additional Percussion, Electric Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums - Mark Hill, Bass - Sam Ashworth, Hi-String Guitar, Background Vocals - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Jon Solo, Organ
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Lauer, Organ - Ruby Amanfu, Background Vocals - Jerry McPherson, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Percussion, Electric Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums - Mark Hill, Electric Guitar, Bass - Sam Ashworth, Hi-String Guitar, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Matt Slocum, Cello - Ruby Amanfu, Background Vocals - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Dan Dugmore, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Piano, Bass - Aaron Sterling, Drums, Percussion - Andy Leftwich, Mandolin, Violin, Mandola - Sam Ashworth, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Lead Vocals, Writer, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Lauer, Organ, Synthesizer - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - MANNY MARROQUIN, Masterer - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Writer - Aaron Sterling, Drums, Percussion - Mark Hill, Bass - Scott Dente, Acoustic Guitar - Sam Ashworth, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Jerry McPherson, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Dan Dugmore, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Keyboards, Percussion, Bass - Aaron Sterling, Drums - Mark Hill, Acoustic Guitar, Bass - Sam Ashworth, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, Dulcimer, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Lauer, Organ - Ruby Amanfu, Background Vocals - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Charlie Peacock, Electric Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums, Congas - Mark Hill, Bass - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Writer, MainArtist
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Mike Viola, Banjo, Writer - Sam Hollander, Writer - Tim Lauer, Keyboards, Organ - Jerry McPherson, Electric Guitar - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - MANNY MARROQUIN, Mixer - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Bells, Engineer, Electric Guitar, Keyboards, Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums - Mark Hill, Acoustic Guitar, Bass - Andy Leftwich, Violin - Sam Ashworth, Acoustic Guitar, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Jerry McPherson, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums, Percussion - Mark Hill, Acoustic Guitar, Bass - Sam Ashworth, Hi-String Guitar, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Tim Lauer, Organ - Matt Slocum, Cello - Jerry McPherson, Guitar, Electric Guitar - Dan Dugmore, Pedal Steel Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Masterer - Jeremy Lister, Background Vocals - Charlie Peacock, Producer, Engineer, Electric Piano - Aaron Sterling, Drums - Mark Hill, Bass - Andy Leftwich, Fiddle - Sam Ashworth, Background Vocals, AdditionalEngineer - Brett Dennen, Lead Vocals, Writer, Background Vocals, MainArtist - James Sweeting, AdditionalEngineer - Ritchie Biggs, Mixer, Engineer
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation
Album review
Brett Dennen seems to be growing into his voice. High-pitched, fragile, and delicate, at times sounding eerily like Tracy Chapman or Billie Holiday, that voice, at first anyway, can be distracting, drawing attention away from his airy, melodic, and carefully written songs, although that voice hasn't kept his first four albums from drawing a lot of critical acclaim and attention. On this, his fifth full-length release, which follows the African rhythms and pop veneer of 2011's Loverboy, Dennen's vocals seem stronger and more certain, and the new songs, although well in line with what he's been writing all along, also seem to have accepted a simpler, easier template, and the sometimes ornate lyrics and phrasing that have kept a song or two from breathing in the past are largely absent here. Working with producer Charlie Peacock in Nashville, and featuring bassist Mark Hill, guitarist Jerry McPherson, drummer Aaron Sterling, and background vocalist Ruby Amanfu, Smoke and Mirrors has fewer pop touches and more of an acoustic backdrop than his previous album, all of which allows this new set of songs to breathe, and Dennen sings them well, sounding at times more like Jason Mraz and less like Jimmy Scott. The production is warm and wide, and sparse in all the right ways, giving songs like the opener, the bouncy "Sweet Persuasion," and the first single, the singalong "Wild Child," a sturdy feel, more joyous and feisty than fragile and delicate. Another highlight, the infectious "When We Were Young," sounds like a classic Tom Petty song, albeit with a higher-pitched lead vocal. In all, this outing is perhaps Dennen's strongest so far, with a warm and easy acoustic feel to it.
© Steve Leggett /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 10 track(s)
- Total length: 00:36:05
- Main artists: Brett Dennen
- Label: Elektra (NEK)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States. ℗ 2013 Atlantic Recording Corporation for the United States and WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the United States.
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