written by Barnaby Thornton
When Brett Gleason opens his mouth, honey-tarred bullets fly out.
A slow-fire of piercing lyrics wrapped in the syrupy shell of his beautifully rich baritone voice…
On his debut album (self-titled), the Brooklyn-based singer continues to pair the blood and thunder of electronic rock, with more intimate piano-centric songwriting. Funded by Kickstarter and entirely self-produced, the results of these intertwined elements are a triumph in D.I.Y. artistry…
Layer upon layer, Brett builds a towering circus rig of sonic histrionics….
A commanding array of instruments, all of which were arranged and recorded by BG himself (with Brendan Finnegan on drums), soar and tumble between the album’s perennial piano notes in an unabashedly acrobatic fashion. The skittish amalgamation of abrasive guitar blows and alluring synths alone will no doubt keep your ears on their lobed toes, as Brett’s voice underpins each of the ten tracks with a mesmerising level of sincerity and fortitude.
In fact there’s something almost regimented and overly–rhythmic about Gleason’s delivery that makes him a far more fascinating vocalist than any of his contemporaries. He manages melody in seemingly micro-syllabic portions, punctuating every beat-paired word with penetrative effect. It’s a technique that reels you in with curiosity and makes hitting the repeat button even easier than it is already.
‘Imposter’ – the first single to be lifted from the album – features what sounds like warped organ grinder synths, searing with spontaneity beneath Brett’s brilliantly abstract lyrics.
Two and half minutes into the song and everything suddenly spirals into a violently vaudevillian-esque frenzy…a short sharp stream of percussive consciousness. Drums wallop, words fly and heart rates rocket before the final crash of the cymbal releases you from Gleason’s well-earned grip…
You can download the full album, now available on iTunes.
Website: http://brettgleason.com/
This article was written entirely by Barnaby Thornton. Due to technical difficulties it was posted by my account but it was not actually written by Michael McCarthy. Again, it was written by Barnaby Thornton.
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