Bosque Brown
Baby
Burnt Toast Vinyl (US) / Fargo (EU) / Playground

Bosque Brown isn't giving much away in giving an impression of the music by looking at the cover. Always a good thing in my book. The cover is a piece of artwork in itself, the music will have to speak for itself.

And it does speak eloquently to me. Having not heard their first album, Bosque Brown Plays Mara Lee Miller, I wondered who this Mara Lee Miller be? About... into Baby you know for sure. Maybe not who she is, but you are sure not to forget how she sounds. And this is essential to Bosque Brown. Miller's voice climbs all around these songs, yet still in full co-operation with the band. It's as if the band at some point realized (luckily) that their most significant feat was Miller's voice, and built everything else around that.

The thing I like most about this album is the sound of it. It has its own atmosphere, where you climb in and might wonder where you are, but you are not likely to climb back out again before the ride is over. This blend of a dry, near and intimate sound with a deep reverberated one is very appealing in keeping an interest. Topped with Miller's intriguing voice, it's a solid piece of work.

This is the type of album that probably might make artistic band suffer in the future, when works are no longer compiled on to albums - meant to belong there together. Some songs do raise their necks to me, but they are almost depending on the company of the remaining. Favorites are "Went Walking", "Whiskey Flat", "Train Song" and the poppy "This Town". But - keep in mind - this is an album.

Copyright © 2009 Anders Svendsen