Brown, Charles: A New Awakening

Denver based Charles Brown is a veteran of the scene having released ten discs thus far. I became familiar with the guitarist with his 2017 release Explorer. His latest is titled A New Wakening and with the new album Brown has gone the one-man band route playing everything himself including guitars, bass, synths, and drums.

On A New Awakening Brown presents the listener with his mastery of the guitar and his take on instrumental progressive rock, spread over eleven tracks and fifty-one minutes. We get things started with the album opening “The Darkest Winter� where swishing synths and crashing cymbals develop into a moody soundscape blended with edgy guitar riffs and excellent soloing with an exotic Eastern accent. Unlike many other projects where musicians go it alone, this does not sound like the work of just one man. That is the calling card of a fine musician. On the title track, the album’s longest offering, Brown digs out a Pink Floyd vibe with his moody guitar atmospheres and wonderful use of both acoustic and electric guitar. The acoustic rhythms would not have sounded out of place on The Wall, which incidentally is in my top five favourite albums of all time. The waves build up with intensity then calm ensues, with the main focus on Brown’s excellent axe work. With “Dance Of The Sun� an energetic synth line and electric guitar build and ease off, making room for some tasty acoustic flavours. His electric also shines, laying down a blistering solo and then its back to mellow atmospherics. Brown is able to utilize this wide dynamic range very effectively ensuring boredom never sets in. “Rock Solid� is a catchy rock tune, sometimes scorching, other times more serene. Spacey effects and looped guitar lines make “Sea Of Myst� another sure-fire winner, his ringing tone and acoustic soloing defining another great track.

Charles Brown should really be a household name in the instrumental rock genre. If instrumental music is your passion, I urge you to check this out. An excellent four stars it is.

Track Listing:
1. The Darkest Winter (4:00)
2. A New Awakening (8:29)
3. Dance Of The Sun (6:23)
4. Rock Solid (3:29)
5. Sea Of Myst (6:12)
6. Edge Of Time (4:52)
7. Waterdance (3:40)
8. Rain Of Sorrow (5:09)
9. What The FUNK (2:35)
10. Walking The Edge (5:44)
11. Touch The Sunrise (2:50)

Added: July 29th 2024
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist @ Bandcamp
Hits: 252
Language: english

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