| ARTIST: Peter Bruntnell |
| ALBUM: Normal for Bridgwater (1999) |
| LINK: http://www.rykodisc.com |
| Prior to writing about this artist, I had no idea who Peter Bruntnell was, other than he had 2 members of Son Volt playing on his album and that it was released on the Rykodisc label. I was thumbing through the "Bs" at Borders Books & Music in Baileys Crossroads, VA, when this CD caught my attention. Since I'm such a nature lover, the cover photo of fall trees in a foggy haze drew my attention. Then all I had to do was read the album info sticker on the front, and I was out about 15 bucks. The fact that this guy had members of one of my favorite Americana bands, Son Volt (Eric Heywood & David Boquist), and that the album was released on the Ryko label told me I had to buy it. Nothing pleases me more (with regard to music purchases, that is) than when I take a chance on someone's music I know nothing about, and it blows me away on the first listen.
The best way I can describe Bruntnell's sound is to compare him to early Wilco and Son Volt's second album, "Straitaways", but not as far out. Every song is it's own little masterpiece and the dynamics cover quite a gammit, although when listened to in full, the production is well uniformed and carries a very lively and particularly rootsy, raw vibe throughout. From gritty overdriven British sounding amps, big Gibson-esque guitars and roomy rockin' drums, to delicate acoustics, swelling steel guitar, mandolin and fiddle melodies and just the right amount of sparce percussion, Bruntnell's music isn't ground breaking, by any means... but, his captivating lyrics and lazy, drawn-out melodic vocals & harmonies especially highlighted by great electric and steel guitar interludes makes this an instantly pleasing and long lasting album for my collection. Check him out at: http://www.rykodisc.com or www.slowriver.com. |