Shouting At The Moon is the third solo album by the legendary leader of Brinsley Schwartz the legendary pub rock band named after him, Brinsley was also a key member of Graham Parker And The Rumour. The songs on the album were written between the late 90's and now and some of them were originally recorded for his earlier solo albums, but have only now made the cut. Brinsley's backing band on the album includes Steve Jackson, James Hallawell, Simon Taylor, Ralph Salmins, Jeremy Stacy. Recorded at the Barn in Richmond it was produced and mixed by Brinsley and James Hallawell.
The album opens with Every Day a salutary song celebrating the joy of waking up again next to the one you love the most, the sophisticated country pop backing keeps things feeling upbeat, no matter what heartbreak may be in the lyrics, Simon Taylor's sax solo is spry and nicely laid back.
What In The World is a slow country blues for someone who never cries, but suddenly they are in floods of tears, eventually all will be revealed over the super evocative backing, this is laid back laconic blues with bags of feel and in the pocket rhythm section.
Falling Over Backwards hoping to fall in love, but realizing that the woman you have fallen for is actually in love with someone else, he just asks her to show him the door properly, on this hazy down at heart, soft heartbroken blues, with another super cool sax solo from Gentleman Adventurer Simon Taylor.
Nothing Is What It Seems you speak with fork tongues and never knowingly tell the truth, this is aimed at those that try to run our lives, Brinsley thinks we should all stand up and insist they tell the truth for once, with the guitar soloing against the delicate Hammond organ.
Watch The Moon Come Down is a cool laid back re-working of the Graham Parker classic, carefully evoking all the feelings of loss and regret for the way things have changed, with sparkling Hammond flourishes helping to make the evocative lyrics feel totally real.
Maybe One Day you will be over it and will be able to ring Brinsley up for a chat, making things ok once again, but for now he will plead for forgiveness and let the sax say sorry for him. The Chance he is willing to take if he can just get up the guts to speak to that stunning lady that makes him lose all his abilities to make sense, he is willing to go over the edge and have an affair with her, while we all sit here and enjoy the sophisticated guitar solo.
Hard To Change (About Things Not Likely To Ever Happen) you know what he means, politicians doing the right thing and helping normal people rather than billionaires, wanting the rich to give more than they take, the emergence of a far more egalitarian world and armies walking off the battlefield before the bloodshed, being friends instead of killing and destroying everything that can see. Go on join up with Brinsley's crusade for peace love and understanding things will not change for the better until we all demand they do.
The album closes with It's Been A Long Year which is very true of 2025, it's hard to take in everything that's happened, Brinsley is crying for all the troubles so many friends and comrades have faced in these most worrying of times, this is an elegy for the way things used to be, when we still had hope that brighter days may be ahead, instead of just in the rearview mirror.
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