Label: Mad Diamond Entertainment / Captain Beardo Records

Release Date: October 28, 2016

Rating: 8/10

Reviewed by: Todd "Toddstar" Jolicoeur

New comer Brett Wiscons took his writing skills, his love of music, and a friendship / partnership with Mark Bryan (of Hootie & the Blowfish fame) and pulled together ten tracks (which includes two version of one of the tracks) and put out a CD full of different sounds, feels, and grooves.  Disc opener "Sarazona" was the track that grabbed my attention and prompted me to listen all the way through.  This song traverses different genres and brings them together with subtle hints of Americana, alternative, country, and rock.  The vocals are the star of this track and keep the song fun and interesting.  "Don't Be The One" is a beautiful duet that features Anne Balbo alongside Brett.  The tempo of the track is cool and flows well.  The two vocals contrast in tone, but work perfectly together.  The guitar solo at the bridge adds depth to the track as well as the rhythm sections time keeping.  There is a cool solo / acoustic version of this track on the disc as well.  "Lovin' You" is one of my favorite tracks on the disc... I love the way Wiscons wraps his Americana / Alt-rock sensibility tightly inside of a cool country song.  The slide/steel guitar sounds permeate the song and makes takes over, to the songs benefit.  The vocals add to the tracks charm and allows you to tag along for a fun ride.  "Side Stage" opens with a fun guitar sound that keeps the song moving.  The lyrics are great - don't miss out on references to festival life for artists.  The tempo seems to shift a bit throughout, but the cadence kept my foot tapping and the guitar work leading into and through the bridge is some of the best on the disc.

"Broad Ripple" is a bit bluesier than most of the other tracks, but the guitar work is awesome on this track and blends well with the rest of the band and Wiscons' vocals.  The tempo is a bit slower, but it works for the mood and feel of the song.  "Indiana Summer" is a mellower track that gets lost in the mix.  The ballad-like track features a lot of acoustic guitar and Brett's vocals, with some electric guitar tossed in for good measure.  The rhythm section kicks in and joins the mix at the chorus.  "Sooner Or Later" is another track that seems to pull from various genres and allows Wiscons to do what he does best - throw a great vocal over a horn-filled bluesy rocker.  The way the different instruments accentuate each other and the vocals helps this song rise to the top.  "Sophia's Winery" starts off with a gospel feel that merges and morphs into a track that sounds as if it were born and bred in the swamps of New Orleans.  The different percussion sounds add to the drums and feel of the track overall.  Disc closer "Until I Think About You" is another track that slows things down, but fits within the parameters of this disc and the other tracks.  The musical accompaniment sounds a little subdued compared to other songs here, but this song ties together some of the different sounds and emotions from the previous tracks and drives them home while allowing Wiscons to be himself.

Tracklisting: Sarazona - Don't Be The One - Broad Ripple - Lovin' You - Indiana Summer - Side Stage - Don't Be The One (acoustic) - Sooner Or Later - Sophia's Winery - Until I Think About You

BRETT WISCONS LINKS:

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