The Brigadier - Sailing The Seven Neuroses

 

The last time that we heard from Matt Williams was in our first year and it has taken that long to follow up the excellent Wash Away The Day. That album reminded me a lot of City Boy's Dinner At The Ritz, a real fave of mine. You can read my review here.

It really is great to have him back as the world does not have enough great Pop Rock and this certainly is. Harmony laden, at times Sailing The Seven Neuroses sounds more than a little 70s Pop Rock, particularly with the Pilot like Guitar solos.

But the album isn't just that. Blessings is great gentle Jangle Pop and Man About The House moves into the prime time UK Glam Rock period. Heaven's In My Heart even gets into Electro 80's New Wave whilst It's You I Think About goes further into 80s synth laden very smooth Indie Pop.

Yet What About Tomorrow is very Nick Frater and Peace Within The Poison is a mix of West Coast Harmony and Andrew Gold 70s Pop Rock. The Title Track has a glorious arrangement, almost Modern Prog and as an instrumental breaks the album up nicely.

The opener, Bleak Companion rock things up considerably and Don't Go To Bed With A Bad Mind is a great closer and allows Williams to add in all the ingredients that he excels at across a 5 minute plus piece that allows the harmonies to excel across a fine arrangement.

The album feels a little different to Wash Away The Day The feel is more mellow, the sound more Commercial Pop, but it is so beautifully done that you just can't help yourself revelling in the mellowness. Wonderfully arranged and performed, this a cracking listen.

You can listen to and buy the album here. It is available on CD or as a download.

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The Brigadier - Wash Away The Day

We are still on the Welsh theme, although Matt Williams now lives in Devon. It is he, who is The Brigadier and he's building a growing reputation. Wash Away The Day is album Number Six and it's really good.

Wash Away The Day is very popcentric, but varied enough to spread it's wings to gather far more in. Sleep On It is wonderfully moody, a bass driven beat you could imagine Russell Mael singing, yet Keep Your Ego Down is like a jaunty Lloyd Cole.





Wash Away The Day is another jaunty joy. There's even a disco song with The King Of  The Dancefloor, which shouldn't work but does and the instrumental, Cabriolet, is so Trickster or John Miles.

I'm constantly reminded of Lloyd Cole on the slower numbers, no bad thing. There may be a tad too much moodiness. This is not a complaint, because a song like This Is The Lovesong is beautifully melodic. However the album is at it's best when the pop springs more and at 47 minutes, the album could have maybe lost a couple of the slower songs.







I'm not being critical because this is a wonderful album that excels when it's chirpy. I don't know why, but I'm constantly reminded of City Boy's Dinner At The Ritz. Songs like Wash Away The Joy and in particular, I Know You're The One For Me is a corker of a song.


Feels Like Something has one of those Jangly Pop riffs that you never get tired of hearing. I love the album and I'm sure that you will too. At 6 Dollars, it's a snip. Great harmonies, it now feels like Summer.





You can listen to and buy the album here.