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Reviews: John Brendan Russell ~ Family Portrait
Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2005 @ 09:51:53 PST
Topic: Reviews
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Artist: John Brendan Russell
CD: Family Portrait
Home: Franklin, Tennessee
Style: Country
Quote: " ... warm hearted country release featuring fine musicianship, Russell’s clear tenor voice, and well-crafted songs."
By Jamie Anderson
No, that’s not a real parental advisory sticker on the front. Look closely, it says “Parenthood requires a sense of humor.” That’s the theme on this warm-hearted country release featuring fine musicianship, Russell’s clear tenor voice, and well-crafted songs.
Clean flat picked acoustic guitar opens “Colorful,” a tender song about his son, while a hot Dobro is the featured instrument on the swing tune “Santa’s Coming Home.” “Big Old Dog” is another great swing number while “Itty Bitty Bed” is a rollicking shuffle with a lively barroom piano. It’s a great song too, telling about what it’s like to get the little ones into bed: “I dim the lights so they’ll settle down, but it’s Mardi Gras in babytown.” You feel sorry for the guy, especially when he comments that “their mother makes it all seem so routine.”
A mother is the feature in “She’s Going Home,” about a woman who quits her office job to care for her children. Lyrics about a man leaving his job would be more interesting. There’s lots of variety here, with each song well played by a tight band featuring all the usual country instruments with just a bit of bluegrass mixed in.
http://www.johnbrendanrussell.com
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