OK, so Andrew Brady is a singer-songwriter from Ireland who began making music after being inspired by Arctic Monkeys. All the songs on his debut album 'Runway' are home recordings. Now I know you're all thinking "great, another one of them, that's exactly what the world needs", but hear the guy out. Yeah this is a bedroom music maker and the album isn't too heavy on the production front, the songs are mainly detailing relationships, typically the inability to get the girl he wants and other such stories you've heard dozens of times before. He notes Bob Dylan as an influence too, so sub-Arctic Monkeys and sub-Dylan is a recipe for disaster.
Except it isn't, not in this case anyway. Interestingly Brady states that he's been compared to Daniel Johnston, something you can certainly hear vocally, and maybe in some of the simple and honest lyrics too. There's no dull acoustic singer-songwriter fluff here, so forget the Dylan thing if you can (apart from perhaps on 'Fruit Machines'). An inspiration maybe, but he's not trying to emulate that sound. Arctic Monkeys? Well I guess this is indie/guitar type music so there's a similarity. Really though, Brady doesn't fit any of them that closely. The subject matter might be as old as time itself but you can't deny he can muster up a decent tune.
At first the double-tracked vocals seem like a cheap way to fill out the sound, but by the end they turn out to be an integral part of his style. As lo-fi indie-rock songs go, 'Footsteps' is great, 'How Can I Refuse You?' is a weird mix of 80s pop and 60s melodies and it really is a lovable track, Monotony can begin to set in with songs such as 'Your Friend', 'Bicycle Queen' and 'Distant Dancing' and this is in part down to the lack of variation in the production, and the album being possibly a bit overlong. The title-track is a very good song but deserves to be rerecorded as it's hardly a crowning moment as it is. A late highlight comes in the fuzz-rock of 'One Day I Will Come Alive', and judging by the high points on what is essentially a homemade record it's a distinct possibility that Andrew Brady may well do just that.
Andrew Brady's website
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A nice thorough review Kev! I wouldn't be mad on his voice though, perhaps drafting in someone with a great voice to sing his song's would be a step in the right direction?? Just a suggestion, and not a dig in any way! Do you do reviews of other Meath artist's? I know a few people that would love a review of one or two of their songs!
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