Brassy - 'Gettin' Wise' (Mantra)
3/5
By: Thomas Hannan
Fledgling guitar-bands take note - because this is how much you can benefit from the current scene.
Not by borrowing its ideas, oh no, but by doing something so simple, so blatantly staring you in the face that it really shouldn't sound so radical. Here it comes - try something a little different. That way, as Brassy might reluctantly testify, you don't even have to have a wealth of ideas of your own to stand out. 'Gettin Wise' attempts nothing deep, tries little truly stunning, but possesses one weapon that many bands would kill to have in their arsenal - focus.
The difference between them and their peers isn't huge, but it has no need to be. The hip-hop beats, the frighteningly catchy chorus and the funky, but none the less impacting, guitar are sounds that have of course been used to great effect in the past (some people do still listen to 'Paul's Boutique' after all then), it's simply that Brassy seem one of the few to have cottoned on to it at present. As a result, 'Gettin Wise' is a joy... These are all old tricks, but it's been a while, so long in fact, that they've become a lot of fun once more.
Opener 'Hit 'Em Hard' is a near faultless piece of feisty exuberance that serves as Brassy's trademark; consisting essentially of a solitary guitar-chord, a hip-shaking beat and Karen Frost's irresistibly contagious vocals, it's a testament to keeping things simple for the greater good of getting some enjoyment out of music. Two things that make great songs are ideas and execution of something you can actually enjoy. What Brassy lack in the innovation department, they certainly make up for in the deliverance of a good time; it's just about possible to maintain a smile all the way through 'Gettin Wise' without once feeling like you're faking it.
So it continues through an early helping of the delightfully upbeat and quirky, the likes of a growling '1-0-0' and a wonderfully cheeky 'Dus' making the album's opening half a thoroughly accessible feat in sound. Things change tact somewhat once the somewhat throwaway 'Where Did You Get That Funk?' has run its course, the album's second half forging a slightly less instantly inviting path; Brassy aren't so much screwing with the formula they've set for themselves to any great degree, instead they just allow melodies to slip in more cautiously as beats become increasingly loose and everything takes a turn for the slightly less immediate.
Unsurprisingly thus, it slips up occasionally. By the time the closing 'Good Place' has got into its sleepy groove, you get the impression that both Brassy and the listener are getting slightly tired of what 'Gettin Wise' has to offer. With the inclusion of the single 'Play Some D' as a mere bonus-track however, it redeems itself... Yes, it is that one from that advert, but in its intended context it actually rears itself as a strikingly strong tune.
Brassy are at their best when they're having fun without regards for anybody else. It's only when their conviction slips that the quality of their music does too. When they claim to be 'everything you need' on the snail-paced antidote of the same name, you don't actually think they really believe themselves. It'll come as no surprise that Brassy aren't everything you need, but 'Gettin Wise' is definitely something everyone needs a bit of.
Artists in this article: Brassy
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment