"The GOP made a monkey out of me," sings Jay Brown on "Back to the Farm," a scathingly funny political diatribe from his latest album, "The Jester." Perhaps best known for the vintage jazz and blues that fueled his band the Lazybirds, Brown opts for a folk approach here, one that mingles with Americana. It might be tempting to tag Brown with the alt-country label but there are so many cliches attached to that genre now, all of which Brown manages to avoid.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Brown is the humor in his songwriting. "Back to the Farm" hilariously captures the disenchantment of the blue-collar population towards former U.S. president George W. Bush and the Republican Party. The Republicans often misrepresented themselves as champions of the working class, only to abandon them and support corporate-friendly policies once they're elected into office. Brown's stinging wit draws blood but it's not mean-spirited. On "History Mystery Clock," Brown tries to disguise his true age, a common practice with people once they hit 40.
|
The music is appropriately raw and rootsy but not unrefined. There is some striking musicianship here, especially in the psychedelic touches of "Dr. Sethi," the downtrodden acoustic guitars of "How You Expect Me to Sing the Blues (When I Got You)," and the pulsating bass of "In the Dark." Brown has a smooth, handsome voice that is equally at home dropping funny lines and poetic observations a la Paul Simon.
http://www.jaybrownmusic.com
|
