Shake It Baby
It's hard to believe that it was four years ago that R13 and Nell Bryden first crossed paths and since that day we have always been avid fans of the 'Brooklyn Bombshell' throughout a very exciting period. From releasing her debut album, in a few different guises that is, to travelling to play to the US Army in Iraq and getting prime time exposure on quite a few of the major radio stations. Now, Ms Bryden, releases her new album Shake The Tree her first since the new found, and fully deserved, glory and also her first since signing with a new label.
All twelve of the album tracks show once again that Nell Bryden is one talented singer and lyricist and is showing the maturity and skill required to move onto the next level by having an album with a diverse level of styles and influences.
With stand out tracks like Shake The Tree with its deep hard hitting blues rock appearing mid way through which is just impossible not to nod your head to and fully deserving of being named the title track of the album. Along with the very emotional and thought provoking tracks like Sirens and Fingerprints, it's impossible not to fall in love with this album.
There is a slight concern that there are one or two tracks that have alarmingly deviated away from the Americana meets Blues feel that we love and more towards the main stream audience of one of those major radio stations, Smooth FM. Certainly the first single taken off the album, Buildings and Treetops is one of those tracks. Sure, we can still appreciate the vocal talents but it is just tad too soft and there is a distinct lack of edginess.
Let's not dwell on the on the minority of the album though, the majority is hugely enjoyable, top quality and consistently alternates between making you tap your feet to the feel good tunes, to pulling on your heart strings with its raw emotion.