Music review: Brian Fallon – 鈥楽leepwalkers鈥�
When you blend the skillful knack that Butch Walker has for crafting a lyric, Frank Turner鈥檚 fiery singing passion that stays with you long after the song is over and the way Brandon Flowers stylishly offers up his heart with such a sophisticated grace, you get Brian Fallon.
The Gaslight Anthem frontman鈥檚 second solo effort is a striking assortment of infectious pop and stark rock with threads of R&B neatly linking together a dozen intoxicating tracks exposing the uncertainly of life, the complexity of love and everything else that happens in between as we wander from experience to experience, battling the shadows and our own doubts and regrets.
鈥淚f Your Prayers Don鈥檛 Get to Heaven鈥� opens with a catchy Motown vibe that soulfully relays the need for a change with Fallon declaring, 鈥淏ut you gotta burn that sound of the voices out that wanna bring you to your knees/And you gotta run so far they鈥檒l never find you again.鈥�
鈥淔orget Me Not鈥� is a rousing rocker that punches out a clamorous vibe as the Garden State native yearns to once again feel the little things that truly make a difference when he sings, 鈥淪tacy, I never thought I鈥檇 miss the small talk/I never knew the gift the day was/I just used to hear the time clock.鈥�
鈥淓tta James鈥� is a wondrous slow burn that sounds like something Bob Dylan would have penned with its elements of pain, regret, redemption and reconciliation.
Reflections of a fragile relationship are recalled on tracks like 鈥淧roof of Life鈥� and 鈥淣eptune,鈥� while 鈥淐ome Wander with Me鈥� and 鈥淟ittle Nightmares鈥� demonstrate the struggle and determination of searching for something just a little better.
鈥淪ee You on the Other Side鈥� is the acoustic closer that serves as a moving declaration of a love and commitment that lasts beyond our earthly days with Fallon tenderly confessing, 鈥淎nd when we both grow old/And there鈥檚 nothing left to say/I want you to know/That I loved you all my days/And when we close our eyes on this lifetime/I鈥檒l see you on the other side.鈥�
With 鈥淪leepwalkers,鈥� Fallon has successfully delivered one of the best albums of the new year.
Clint Rhodes is the 缅北禁地 music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.