When I reviewed his “Cedar Walls and Whiskey” EP back in the summer, I said, “He’s doing something slightly different; he’s original and authentic, and the sky’s the limit for Blanco Brown.”
Well, now he’s back with “Back 2 Basics,” and the title track is typical of the soul-filled take on country that we’ve seen from Blanco Brown over the releases we’ve seen.
There’s an urban, laid-back feel to his work. The reminiscing on the gorgeous “Beautiful To Me” is a perfect example. Sure, there are fiddles, a lap steel, and a country feel, but it’s not like anyone else does it.
“Holding My Breath” is one of several songs that use spoken word, and he lends himself to that.
One of the lines he says here is “Never let anyone take your joy,” and that seems to infuse his work, but not as much as the one that says “California lovin’ with a Tennessee strut” because that’s surely the yin and yang of Brown.
That’s why “Sooner Or Later” sounds like it does, surely. And why his work always sounds so ready to burst through on a real crossover.
His backstory is well known, but he might not have been here had things gone another way.
His accident has left him with gratitude, an appreciation perhaps for what he has, and his music similarly keeps it real.
“Back 2 Basics” is as polished as it is classy.
Rating: 7.5/10
REVIEW: BLANCO BROWN – BACK 2 BASICS (2024)
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