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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Brad: Soulful good times from Seattle
Tuesday 29 October @ 16:48:35 |
 by Rob van Alstyne
Soul music rarely comes to mind when enumerating the state of Washington’s musical past (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the “grunge” legacy) or present (Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse). Which is what makes the sudden reappearance of Seattle’s shamelessly funky Brad, after a five-year hiatus, all the more refreshing. Led by singer / pianist / guitarist Shawn Smith and Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard, it would be tempting to label Brad a “side project” band. An easy mistake—but a mistake nonetheless, as side projects rarely stay together for a decade at a time, and there are no traces of gimmickry evident in Brad’s highly organic sound. The potent blend of ’70s hard rock and R&B influences on display throughout the group’s third LP, Welcome to Discovery Park, is worlds removed from Pearl Jam’s anthemic, Who-inspired rock sound, despite Gossard’s pivotal role in both groups.
The album kicks off with “Brothers and Sisters,” a piano-driven torch ballad that proves an ideal showcase for Smith’s sensual croon. It’s the first of many moments on the record that reinforce Smith’s commitment to soul music. Smith seems blissfully unaware that most white 37-year-old indie-rockers don’t cover “Purple Rain” in concert (a staple of Smith’s work) or attempt to channel the spirit of Stevie Wonder in 2002. This defiance of convention lends Brad their unique swagger, and keeps Gossard’s superstar status from being a factor in their work.
Unlike the typical doom-and-gloom/ironic detachment of most current rock music, an overwhelmingly positive vibe pervades Discovery Park. The bouncy acoustic “Takin’ it Easy” features a beaming chorus of “Hey now we’re takin’ it easy / We got all the time to kill and it’s all fine,” with nary a trace of sarcasm in sight. Similarly, themes of hope and redemption define the wistful “If You Could Make it Good” and up-tempo single “La La La La.”
Welcome to Discovery Park feels like the festive reunion of close friends, a feel that typified their hastily recorded 1993 debut, Shame. Recorded on a whim in two weeks, without any prior label involvement, Shame was a ramshackle affair. It craftily balanced poignant balladry (“Buttercup,”) moody rock (“Screen”) and beat-driven funk (“20th Century”) with a reckless disregard for convention. By contrast, the band’s next album, 1997’s Interiors, was recorded over an extended period of time. It was also funded by Pearl Jam’s parent record label, Epic, who had expectations of some commercial success upon its release. The result was a less adventurous and more immediately palatable record that scored a modest radio hit with the bright mid-tempo pop of “The Day Brings.”
Once again recording without a net (although eventually inked to Best Buy’s new record label imprint Red Line), the boys have done things their own way with Welcome to Discovery Park. The bulk of the material was both written and recorded over a six-week period in Gossard’s Seattle home studio.
The “unprofessional” surroundings clearly suited the band well: as the spaced-out hard rock (“All is One”) and prog-like funeral dirges (the album closing “Arrakis”) that pop into the mix attest, commercially acceptable product was the last thing they worried about.
Welcome to Discovery Park is a nice reminder that the best albums tend to be crafted under low-pressure conditions. The varied tunes float by, awash in gauzy synthesizer layers and skeletal acoustic guitar strums; or, just as frequently, they are bathed in layered vocal harmonies and punchy electric guitars. The sonic elements carefully placed regardless of the song’s stylistic approach. Smith, Gossard, and drummer Regan Hagar have been close friends for 14 years, stretching back to when the concept of “grunge” was just a savvy twinkle in some marketing director’s eye. That bond feels palpable on Welcome to Discovery Park, an upbeat celebration of eccentric music-making that easily sets itself apart from the rest of the rock music pack.
Brad plays Mon., Nov. 4, at the Quest Club. 6 p.m. $16.50/$16.50. All-Ages. 110 N. 5th St., Mpls. 612-338-3383.
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