BRETT DENNEN
''SMOKE AND MIRRORS''
OCTOBER 22 2013
36:20
1. Sweet Persuasion /3:02
2. Wild Child /3:37
3. You Make It Easy /3:06
4. Only Want You /3:26
5. When We Were Young /4:22
6. Smoke and Mirrors /3:50
7. Don't Mess With Karma /4:09
8. Out Of My Head /3:41
9. Not Too Late /3:29
10. Who Am I /3:26
All Tracks By Dennen
Ruby Amanfu /Vocals (Background)
Sam Ashworth /Guitar (Acoustic), Hi String Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Brett Dennen /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Scott Dente /Guitar (Acoustic)
Dan Dugmore /Pedal Steel
Mark Hill /Bass, Guitar (Acoustic)
Tim Lauer /Hammond B3, Keyboards, Omnichord, Synthesizer
Andy Leftwich /Fiddle, Mandola, Mandolin, Violin
Jeremy Lister /Vocals (Background)
Jerry McPherson /Acoustic Slide Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Charlie Peacock /Bass, Bells, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Piano (Electric), Toy Piano, Wurlitzer
Steve Shebby /Banjo
Matt Slocum /Cello
Jon Solo /Cowbell, Hammond B3
Aaron Sterling /Congas, Drums, Percussion
James Sweeting /Hammer Dulcimer
Mike Viola /Guitar (Acoustic)
REVIEW
by Steve Leggett
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.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Youthful West Coast singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, with a fragile, high-pitched voice that makes him sound at times like a cross between Tracy Chapman and Neil Young, first drew attention in 2004 with the single "Desert Sunrise." The tune, with its easy groove and soulful phrasing, garnered enough spins on KCRW to warrant the release of his self-titled debut the following year. In 2006, Dennen signed with Dualtone and released So Much More. Hope for the Hopeless followed on the same imprint in 2008. Dennen's fourth studio effort, Loverboy, which featured subtle African rhythms and more of a pop veneer, arrived in April of 2011, followed in 2013 by the sparser acoustic-based Smoke and Mirrors.
''SMOKE AND MIRRORS''
OCTOBER 22 2013
36:20
1. Sweet Persuasion /3:02
2. Wild Child /3:37
3. You Make It Easy /3:06
4. Only Want You /3:26
5. When We Were Young /4:22
6. Smoke and Mirrors /3:50
7. Don't Mess With Karma /4:09
8. Out Of My Head /3:41
9. Not Too Late /3:29
10. Who Am I /3:26
All Tracks By Dennen
Ruby Amanfu /Vocals (Background)
Sam Ashworth /Guitar (Acoustic), Hi String Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Brett Dennen /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Scott Dente /Guitar (Acoustic)
Dan Dugmore /Pedal Steel
Mark Hill /Bass, Guitar (Acoustic)
Tim Lauer /Hammond B3, Keyboards, Omnichord, Synthesizer
Andy Leftwich /Fiddle, Mandola, Mandolin, Violin
Jeremy Lister /Vocals (Background)
Jerry McPherson /Acoustic Slide Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Charlie Peacock /Bass, Bells, Drums, Fender Rhodes, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion, Piano, Piano (Electric), Toy Piano, Wurlitzer
Steve Shebby /Banjo
Matt Slocum /Cello
Jon Solo /Cowbell, Hammond B3
Aaron Sterling /Congas, Drums, Percussion
James Sweeting /Hammer Dulcimer
Mike Viola /Guitar (Acoustic)
REVIEW
by Steve Leggett
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.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
Youthful West Coast singer/songwriter Brett Dennen, with a fragile, high-pitched voice that makes him sound at times like a cross between Tracy Chapman and Neil Young, first drew attention in 2004 with the single "Desert Sunrise." The tune, with its easy groove and soulful phrasing, garnered enough spins on KCRW to warrant the release of his self-titled debut the following year. In 2006, Dennen signed with Dualtone and released So Much More. Hope for the Hopeless followed on the same imprint in 2008. Dennen's fourth studio effort, Loverboy, which featured subtle African rhythms and more of a pop veneer, arrived in April of 2011, followed in 2013 by the sparser acoustic-based Smoke and Mirrors.
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