29 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Elliot Brown - Album Review: Jingles 4

02 Jul 2015 // A review by Andrew Smit

Smooth and stylish music abounds in this cutely titled Jingles 4 album, 10 songs with high quality modern folk arrangements that are accompanied by slick vocal harmonies and melodies that have a very charming quality. Elliot Brown tells stories of life and wonder in a comical but cool way, narrating real world hopes and experiences with an audible and tuneful voice that is engaging and wholesome. The music is driven by clean and steady rhythms that are delivered with a healthy mix of varying methods, there are simple drum machine beats, hand patting, tennis ball bounces and simple tapping of hands or sticks.

The smooth sea shanty rhythm of Star feels very smooth and is only improved with its flowing melody and curious Greek sounding guitar picks. Many songs have wonderful splashing and bouncing keyboard symphonics that provide a retro sound to a modern beat. Want Her Back has a cheery upbeat feel, with beatlesque harmonies and melody, Rest Home also provides another Mersey/Folk sound with its interesting Oasis meets Dylan quality. Nile has a very Paul Simon sounding vocal, and is furnished with the most wonderful smile inducing backing vocal arrangement. Hired Labour has very cool vibrato keys, and an even cooler lyrical story.

Each song has a unique sound and structure yet the feel and texture of the music is consistently delightful, the stimulating tunes and real world stories keep you engaged and entertained. Jingles 4 is a thoughtful musical creation that is fresh and heart-warming, a reminder that beautiful music can be found, and its way better that the over pop sound on the radio these days, unless of course they play Elliot Brown's Jingles 4.

 

About Elliot Brown

Currently Elliot Brown (and The Candy Caps) is a 25 year-old solo recording artist based in Mangawai, Nortland. Influences include Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, Tom Paxton, Radio Head, the Pixies, Creedence Clearwater, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Kris Kristofferson, but don’t let his influence by these legends fool you into thinking you’ve heard anything like his craft before. Elliot Brown music fits within several genres, including Modern American Folk, Alternative and Classic Rock, and Modern Alternative Country.

Elliot is a primarily self-taught guitarist and vocalist, receiving his first guitar and lessons from his father at the age of six, and only a few lessons from a professional jazz/classical musician at the age of twelve. Studying a variety of the greatest artists of many disciplines, he has absorbed lessons in classical harmonies from artists such as Bach, vocal harmonies of Brian Wilson, with haunting lyrics inspired by a love of the work of Edgar Allen Poe. He attributes much of his passion to his love of folk and classic country artists, such as Bill Monroe and Hank Williams. Elliot Brown’s music captures the full spectrum of human emotion with his complex melodies and visual lyrics. His talent is self-evident, or as Kim Freiderich of Punk Globe says, “[Elliot is] a man with so much talent that it made me stop and drop what I was doing…I found myself listening to his songs one by one over and over… mesmerized with what I was hearing.” Kim goes on to point out; “You are not signed to a label, which I find quite funny since it’s been a long time since I have heard this much talent.” This is a common response to Elliot's magic. Paul Gallagher of Under the Radar and 95bFM who has played his music “religiously” says, “[He is] one of the more under-appreciated troubadours of New Zealand music, Elliot Brown has been a force of lyrical talent for as long as I have known him”; going on to add, “There has always been a mix of brutally earnest honesty within Elliot's music and a thematic blues folk aesthetic of an Dylan / Bo Diddley / Winston Churchill-speech quoting odyssey.”

Elliot’s debut album Delirium Tremens features 21 songs recorded over the last two years, with samplings from both The Stomps and Elliot Brown and the Candy Caps, recorded by Gundry Audio, and is available for sale at Amazon, download at iTunes and available for sample on his WebPages. Elliot is continuing to compose music, write lyrics and record tracks for his upcoming album, expected to be completed by January of 2011. Currently, Elliot is playing venues based in New Zealand, But with a solid fan base of 27,000 in the USA, is also planning a tour of the United States within the Year.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Elliot Brown

Releases

Jingles 4
Year: 2015
Type: Album
Lies Your Momma Told Me
Year: 2014
Type: Album
Road To Destruction
Year: 2011
Type: Album
Delirium Tremens
Year: 2009
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Andrew Smit

Album Review: 1 Drop Nation
20 Dec 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Opening with a very spiritual Maori haka Intro - Waerea, we were introduced to the opening track Homeland, which is an unashamedly patriotic Aotearoa anthem with repeated strains of "We are one nation". This is a track that proudly declares love for home, while also being a rally call for the future.
Read More...
Tahini Bikini - Album Review: Fever Dream
15 Nov 2022 // by Andrew Smit
An album full of very danceable funk tunes, loaded with tight guitar, bass, brass and percussion that provide a perfect foundation for the expressive soulful vocals of Madeline Lucy Taylor. Her unique clarity is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse or our own Kiwi songstress Gin Wigmore.
Read More...
Haze Lane - Single/Video Review: Natural Feeling
22 Aug 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Matching the songs title very aptly South Auckland indie band Haze Lane has produced Natural Feeling, a very organic song that does indeed deliver a very smooth natural feeling. The ultra-cool ambient sound is reminiscent to the early roots sound of Six60 and L.
Read More...
Gig Review: Anthonie Tonnon @ Hollywood Cinema, Auckland - 14/05/2022
16 May 2022 // by Andrew Smit
On a coolish Saturday evening it was great to see a rather large crowd that clearly were so happy and eager to experience a night of live music, and what a perfect venue to stage it at the slightly musty but still majestic Hollywood Cinema in Avondale. Opening the proceedings was the cool 4 piece band Lips with their ambient 80’s groove thanks to the techno synth sounds from keyboardist and singer Steph Brown.
Read More...
Vogel Town - Single Review: Sludge City
24 Apr 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Interestingly Vogel Town's new song Sludge City begins with an automated telephone voice, and then a street argument which is soon accompanied by a very groovy walking bass line, quickly growing from just a couple of notes to a broad melody of its own. At first the only addition is some nice, nonchalant drum fills, but as the background street noise fades away, the introduction of vibrant reverberating guitar strums adds a final element that completes the ensemble perfectly, and altogether this provides a very cool bluesy vibe.
Read More...
SKRAM - Single Review: Living Our Lives
22 Mar 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Beginning with some straightforward but quite funky keys your soon steered to a very upbeat and chunky ensemble of music that energetically drives along with its super groovy reggae vibe. SKRAM are a very high energy 3-piece pop group that have delivered a fine tune that embodies their claim of “energetic” perfectly.
Read More...
Tomorrow People - Album Review: 21
02 Jan 2022 // by Andrew Smit
Tomorrow People have produced a wonderful assemblage of uplifting reggae tunes that are performed and sung with heart and purpose. All 16 tracks are packed with brilliant harmonies that are propelled along by the glorious uplifting off beat rhythmic delight that reggae music delivers so well.
Read More...
Torn Chorus - Single/Video Review: This City Floats
10 Sep 2021 // by Andrew Smit
From a simple opening beat to a wonderful flourish of acoustic guitars layered with luscious chorus and flange effects, the new single from Torn Chorus, This City Floats, is brought to life with wailing electric lead guitar licks and slides that sound melodically precise and emotive. Crisp vocals tell you about the labour and reward that you get for following the beaten path to the top, which as the video shows so well, is Auckland’s remnant volcanic cones, but the metaphor could be used for any journey in life.
Read More...
View All Articles By Andrew Smit

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem