Good Morning!
Today we’re listening to “Storm in the Hills” by Brinsley Schwarz
Trying to map out the career of Brinsley Schwarz can feel like it needs a flow chart.
There’s Kippington Lodge, which evolved into…Brinsley Schwarz, featuring one Nick Lowe on bass. Then there’s The Rumour which became Graham Parker’s backing band and evolved into… Graham Parker and The Rumour (okay, maybe their naming conventions weren’t the best; their talents clearly laid elsewhere). There was also Ducks Deluxe.
None of this even touches on the ties to Rockpile, Dave Edmunds, or Elvis Costello. It also omits the production work he’s done through the years.
Kevin Bacon has his six degrees of separation. Brinsley has his.
So I guess it makes sense that Tangled is only his second solo record, following 2016’s Unexpected. What I wasn’t surprised to learn is that after wrapping the debut album, Schwarz and producer James Hallawell essentially just kept recording. The result being Tangled.
Of the ten tracks here, Schwarz penned nine of them. On the 10th, he lends his own spin to Graham Parker’s “Love Gets You Twisted.”
The record feels like meeting up with an old friend after several years; it’s novel and comfortable both. Schwarz is known as one of the originators of the pub rock sound, and “Storm In the Hills” sounds like someone still clearly wearing the title. This is a barrel piano and a boogie beat. In other words, no frills classic rock.
It’s a track that could just as easily be filling the floor at your local bar as it is your speakers.
More:
In trying to find a parallel, perhaps the Travelling Wilburys first record is a good template: music made by people who know what they’re doing, and sound like they’re enjoying it. Oh, and throw a bit of the spirit of Ronnie Lane into the mix, too, the sense that even music with a message should sound like it was made for fun, and not picked over until the essence is gone.
A lot of the songs have an infectious groove to them, an easy roll that makes for a good car-driving listen. ‘Storm in the Hills’ may owe a musical nod to Dylan’s ‘Thunder on the Mountain’, but its 12 bar simplicity is distilled good time boogie, complete with barrelhouse piano, and a witty and involving lyric.
Click here to read the rest of the review.
Listen:
“Storm in the Hills” by Brinsley Schwarz | Tangled, 2021
Click the record to listen on the platform of your choice.
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this track!
Thanks for being here,
Kevin—
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Cool song. A basic blues boogie groove, but underlay with 70 plus years of wisdom and a touch of curmudgeonliness.
Will there be an interview segment?
Has a good energy. The mobile phone is a topic that features a fair bit in my Substacks. Imagine showing someone in the 70s what we do now. I reckon we will see almost as much change again in the next 10 years.