Nell Bryden - Second Time Around LP
“Second Time Around” is not the usual type of album we get to review here at R13 and it is always a pleasure to listen to something which is a bit different than the rock, indie and pop albums that seem to be flooding the market. Obviously it does help when the artist is as talented as New York’s Nell Bryden and her backing band clearly are.
Second Time Around oozes class in so many places with its mix of Jazz, Country and Blue Grass to which you could easily imagine couples dancing at legendary venues like the Broken Spoke in Texas.
This album very nearly did not get to see the light of day. Nell Bryden’s financial situation was looking bleak and with no outside backing, her musical career was about to finish before it really kicked off. By chance an original Milton Avery painting was found hidden away in the attic and promptly sold at Sotherby’s for a nice little sum. Does sound a bit like an episode from Only Fools and Horses.
The album starts with “Tonight” an upbeat bluegrass style song complete with double bass and washboard. The upbeat style continues with the title track which is slightly rockier than the opener. “Late Night Call” and “From Midnight On” use the happier side of love as their subject but with the latter in a really slow romantic style. Why couldn’t they play this when I went to Broken Spoke instead of tricky two step tunes.
Nell Bryden’s vocal talents show great depth throughout the eleven tracks, the variety and at times great power on the recordings really does make it a pleasurable 41 minutes. Her writing talents deserve a lot of praise too, very easy to relate your personal experiences to each of the songs; sadly this includes “Why Can’t That Be Me”.
The slow building “Only Life I Know” is followed by the traditional country ballad “Green Dress”, about love lost. The pace picks up briefly once again for “Where The Pavement Ends” before slowing for “Goodbye” and “If I Forget”. The album rounds off with “Helen’s Requiem” an exceedingly sad subject to finish with but Nell’s voice finishes beautifully.
I was lucky enough to accidentally catch one of Nell Bryden’s frequent visits to these shores recently, had gone to see another band on the bill but ended up being impressed with this class, elegant act.