Bryan Andrews lives the "Broken Dream"
Matt Zaloga
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Growing up in a very small town on the border between the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central School District and Bethlehem Central School District, a mere 20-minute drive from Albany, I never expected to see someone I went to high school with become a pop star. Particularly since I was on the Ravena side of the border.
However, last year, one kid that I went to school with told me he had been recording at a studio a little bit south of Albany. I knew that he was a singer, but I never knew that he played piano and guitar, and that he wrote his own songs. During late night AIM conversations, since both of us are nearly insomniacs, he would send me some demos of songs he was working on.
Then came the day that he told me that he had the opportunity to record with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Gary Burke, both of whom are session musicians who have very impressive track records. Levin has played with the likes of John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Yes, Dire Straits, and Alice Cooper, just to mention a few. He also writes and records his own solo material and plays live with the Tony Levin Band. Likewise, Burke has played with many big name artists, most notably Bob Dylan.
After much hard work, my friend, under the name Bryan Andrews, released his debut album, Sessions, on August 14 of this year. Sessions, is a mix of mostly pop and gospel sounds. The disc is a tale of heartache put to catchy piano-based pop music.
The 14-song effort imbeds itself in the jukebox that exists within a person's brain almost instantly. After a spoken word intro, Andrews starts off the record with the tune "This Is Me," which is a theme that continues through the entire CD. In the chorus he sings, "I guess this is me/Never anyone else."
Andrews voice can switch from delicate and soft to powerful in a matter of seconds. His vocals make the album. The control he has over his voice makes it impossible to criticize, even if his style of music is not your cup of tea. The singing remains clear and smooth throughout the entire length of the album.
However, last year, one kid that I went to school with told me he had been recording at a studio a little bit south of Albany. I knew that he was a singer, but I never knew that he played piano and guitar, and that he wrote his own songs. During late night AIM conversations, since both of us are nearly insomniacs, he would send me some demos of songs he was working on.
Then came the day that he told me that he had the opportunity to record with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Gary Burke, both of whom are session musicians who have very impressive track records. Levin has played with the likes of John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Yes, Dire Straits, and Alice Cooper, just to mention a few. He also writes and records his own solo material and plays live with the Tony Levin Band. Likewise, Burke has played with many big name artists, most notably Bob Dylan.
After much hard work, my friend, under the name Bryan Andrews, released his debut album, Sessions, on August 14 of this year. Sessions, is a mix of mostly pop and gospel sounds. The disc is a tale of heartache put to catchy piano-based pop music.
The 14-song effort imbeds itself in the jukebox that exists within a person's brain almost instantly. After a spoken word intro, Andrews starts off the record with the tune "This Is Me," which is a theme that continues through the entire CD. In the chorus he sings, "I guess this is me/Never anyone else."
Andrews voice can switch from delicate and soft to powerful in a matter of seconds. His vocals make the album. The control he has over his voice makes it impossible to criticize, even if his style of music is not your cup of tea. The singing remains clear and smooth throughout the entire length of the album.
Be the first to comment on this story