When
Brady Brock
set out to make an album, his 2002 debut,
I Will Live in You Where Your Heart Used to Be
, wasn't meant to be released. He wanted to record a few songs for some friends; however, the end result took him beyond his modest expectations, allowing
Brock
to blossom into an artist.
Warm American Sweater
is proof of that, an impressive sophomore effort from the New York City
singer/songwriter
, who was merely in search of a comfort zone the first time around. He's a little bit older and wiser on
, and with the help of producer
Thom Monahan
(
the Pernice Brothers
,
Dinosaur Jr.
the Silver Jews
),
grounded himself for his most cohesive sound yet.
Indie pop
threads are thicker (
"Stay as Sweet as You Are"
), and
's once delicate acoustic riffs get heavy (
"Happiness"
) as his ever-questioning mindset drifts throughout the ten-song set list. As a vocalist,
is much more confident; from the wispy
rock
edge of
"You Will Be a Skinny Ghost"
to
"Pass and Stow"
's folky touch,
clues you in on
's earnest attempt to make these songs a personal journey not only for him as an artist, but for the listener as well. Lush string arrangements, pianos, and banjos capture the album's basic dreamlike structure for a pleasurable listen.
isn't interested in big production to make a decent album. He works with what's natural, mixing it with what provokes him to think and feel as an individual. The sonic richness of
makes that pretty clear. ~ MacKenzie Wilson