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Chris Brokaw, "My Confidante + 3"
12XU
It is sometimes interesting to know the motivations behind things, andthat is certainly the case with this EP from the multi-instrumentalistand member of at least half a dozen stunning bands over the years. WhenI read the spine of the CD, I thought "Wasn't this a song off his lastrecord?" Indeed, it was, but Brokaw was inspired to re-record it andupdate it to an electric, full-band status. Accompanying it is histribute to female songwriters, as he records songs by former bandmateThalia Zedek, Liz Phair, and Holly Anderson and Lisa Burns. All ofthis, apparently, is due to the inspiration of Greg Weeks, whodiscussed a compilation of men performing songs written by women withBrokaw a year ago. Now, perhaps this comes off as Brokaw rhyming on theidea a bit, but it's no matter, as it is easily the most electrifyingwork Brokaw has ever produced. His interpretation of these songs isfull of strong choices and a clear vision, with his own twists andturns thrown in just for fun. The update of the title track is the waythe song was meant to be heard: multi-tracked guitars, powerhousedrums, and a confident yet slightly flawed vocal. It blows the previousversion away easily. Brokaw has chosen artists he greatly respects aswell as songs that he loves, and his partnership with Zedek in Comeproduced some great songs and records, so it's a fitting choice as wellas a straightforward interpretation. On Zedek's "1000 MPH," a punked-upenergy level suffers only slightly without the vocal presence of itsauthor. "In Love With Yourself" predates Phair's seminal Exile in Guyvilleand it shows, as it's a cheeky and almost corny song that's just cleverenough to be amusing, which she'd never dare approach today. Itbenefits from this re-envisioning of just guitar and voice, and it evenshows a little sense of humor on Brokaw's side. It is the last songthat is the cornerstone, though, as "Across the Blue" is grandiose andlabored, with a relaxed performance with great guitar lines andatmospherics. Brokaw has a new solo album due in 2005 and a soundtracklater this year, but it just may be that he does his best work withother people's songs. If that's the case, it's hardly a negative if theresults are this good.
It is sometimes interesting to know the motivations behind things, andthat is certainly the case with this EP from the multi-instrumentalistand member of at least half a dozen stunning bands over the years. WhenI read the spine of the CD, I thought "Wasn't this a song off his lastrecord?" Indeed, it was, but Brokaw was inspired to re-record it andupdate it to an electric, full-band status. Accompanying it is histribute to female songwriters, as he records songs by former bandmateThalia Zedek, Liz Phair, and Holly Anderson and Lisa Burns. All ofthis, apparently, is due to the inspiration of Greg Weeks, whodiscussed a compilation of men performing songs written by women withBrokaw a year ago. Now, perhaps this comes off as Brokaw rhyming on theidea a bit, but it's no matter, as it is easily the most electrifyingwork Brokaw has ever produced. His interpretation of these songs isfull of strong choices and a clear vision, with his own twists andturns thrown in just for fun. The update of the title track is the waythe song was meant to be heard: multi-tracked guitars, powerhousedrums, and a confident yet slightly flawed vocal. It blows the previousversion away easily. Brokaw has chosen artists he greatly respects aswell as songs that he loves, and his partnership with Zedek in Comeproduced some great songs and records, so it's a fitting choice as wellas a straightforward interpretation. On Zedek's "1000 MPH," a punked-upenergy level suffers only slightly without the vocal presence of itsauthor. "In Love With Yourself" predates Phair's seminal Exile in Guyvilleand it shows, as it's a cheeky and almost corny song that's just cleverenough to be amusing, which she'd never dare approach today. Itbenefits from this re-envisioning of just guitar and voice, and it evenshows a little sense of humor on Brokaw's side. It is the last songthat is the cornerstone, though, as "Across the Blue" is grandiose andlabored, with a relaxed performance with great guitar lines andatmospherics. Brokaw has a new solo album due in 2005 and a soundtracklater this year, but it just may be that he does his best work withother people's songs. If that's the case, it's hardly a negative if theresults are this good.
