Album Review

John Joseph Brill – Pieces

• 23rd Feb 2015

Pieces is the debut EP from Merseyside artist John Joseph Brill. The son of a music producer/A&R rep and a pop singer and with a stint in a London based alternative doom-folk group himself (that’s right, doom-folk), Brill has plenty of good credentials, but can he live up to them?

Apparently, Brill uprooted to Liverpool because he eventually wants an airport named after him; judging by this attempt, those lofty heights might not be out of his eventual reach.

Variously compared to savouring a glass of whiskey, the good news is that you don’t need to be a whiskey drinker to enjoy these tracks, you just need to enjoy well written, thoughtful lyrics and a distinctive warm baritone most reminiscent of Editors front man Tom Smith.

The lyrical content is dark and the vocal melodic with nods to the Bad Seeds, Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. In fact, it’s a shame that one of the tracks had to include the word hallelujah, as it drags the entire record toward comparisons to Cohen where there was previously very little intent. It becomes quickly apparent that John Joseph Brill isn’t so much a songwriter but a storyteller using music as his medium. It’s an excellent debut CD with depth and feeling, but with enough variation to keep the casual listener interested. His voice croaks in the softer sections and feels almost out of control but this allows some real emotion to shine through.

In places, the record could be open to accusations of overproduction. Perhaps to enhance the feel of the songs a different production approach may have brought more of a humble element to the more intimate moments, but if the only criticism of this debut EP is to call it over produced then in turn it can be taken as a compliment at reaching such a level this early on in the career. He’s dark, brooding, intimate and sometimes anthemic, with the lyrical content sharp and on point – only the occasional line feels forced.

‘Pieces’ is truly the stand out composition here and, while the other tracks bring different feelings, topics and instruments to the project, they struggle to live up to the quality of the lead single. One shouldn’t forget, of course, that this is a debut EP and in that context is as accomplished as anything else readily available. That said, this is a cracking release which demonstrates a lot of potential in a young musician. Definitely one to watch.

– Joe Jackson

Venue: Pieces
Support Band: Killing Moon