Brett Dennen: Hope For The Hopeless

I forget where I first heard about Brett Dennen, but I knew I wanted to check out some of his set at Rothbury because I remembered hearing something good. My memory is pretty worthless. As it turned out the only time I was able to make for his Rothbury set was a quick walkthrough on our way back to camp in order to have some drinks to get back in time for something else. Luckily the walk was long and what I heard was enough to proclaim that he sounded a little like Ryan Adams and that I would definitely check out his stuff when I got back. I have fallen in love with his last album So Much More so I was pretty excited when his newest album Hope for the Hopeless hit stores on Oct 21. Let's get to the review:

1. San Francisco - If nothing else this is probably the most descriptive song about San Francisco that I have ever heard. I like this song as an introduction to Dennen's voice as it is pretty unique. After the line " it's a great baseball town but my team is across the bay" I am starting to think maybe I shouldn't pimp this album. I guess I just have to write him off as a musician that doesn't really take sports seriously, and just thought that was a clever line. If not I may have to rethink my whole theory on musicians and team affiliations.
2. Make You Crazy (feat. Femi Kuti) - This is the first single off the album. It is alarmingly catchy. So much so that I am scared to like it. That being said I can't stop listening to it. Good message, good lyrics, fun vocals.
3. Heaven - Like most people that listen to music, the stuff that hits me the most is usually the stuff I feel I can specifically relate to. So a song that has someone repeating "What the hell is heaven?" is certainly something I can dig on. Add to that the unique delivery and you've got yourself a perfect song to get all Man in the Mirrored (sometimes called the "Happy-Sad") "Is there a home for the homeless?", let's hope so.
4. Closer to You - Pick up the pace a bit, little more fun. "I'm singing like a sailor struggling up your avenue." This song just may break the all time metaphor and simile record which is currently held by that cliche song Springsteen wrote for Ghost of Tom Joad. If you are into well crafted pop songs with lines such as "like a pirate in a pawn shop with a pocket full of jewels" then this is your jam!
5. Wrong About Me - I like this song. I love Brett Dennen's voice, more specifically the things he tends to do with it. Sounds a lot like Gavin Degraw at times in a good way, I think it may just be their inflection. Throw in a Wurlitzer and you'll get me every time.
6. So Far From Me - This song is pretty. I rarely love pretty songs immediately unless they Man in the Mirror me (bear with me, I'm trying to win a bet). As is usually the case, I am not Man in the Mirrored by this song.
7. When She's Gone - This could have been a Four Tops song and it would have been insanely awesome (RIP Levi Stubbs). The current version is pretty outstanding as well. I would be really surprised if this song is not featured in the next four romantic comedies aimed at the 15-25 year old demographic, as well as each episode of One Tree Hill for the rest of the season. Suffice to say it is pop gold.
8. World Keeps Turning - Happy, fun, bouncy, and I am pretty sure some clapping along at the end. No complaints here.
9. Who Do You Think You Are? - I hear more organ! This song is great. "Don't be afraid of the hands you play". It's pretty clear that Dennen is a dreamer, of the happy sort. I can see why he has worked with Jason Mraz on occasion.
10. Follow Your Heart - This song opens with the line "I am a dreamer", so I guess that confirms my suspicions. More of the same well crafted pop that is littered throughout the album. My least favorite of the organ heavy songs probably, but what can you do. If this wasn't the second to last track on the album I might be starting to worry it's starting to run together.
11. Ain't Gonna Lose You - I am not sure who teaches the class on "Amazing slow songs at the end of albums" but that person should definitely expand into a less specific form. "Amazing slow songs at the end of things" is a class I would go back to school for. That being said this is an amazing slow song at the end of an album, which is also a thing, which in turn makes it the end of a thing. "You can put a stick in my spokes, I can be the butt of your jokes, I can be the laughing stock, I can be the host, but I ain't gonna lose you."

First things first, I liked this album, and there is no doubt to me that it will help Brett Dennen's career. It seems he has earned the "artist to watch" label that so many publications have already branded him with, and I for one have really enjoyed what I have heard. That being said, my one holdup in loving this album, aside from the baseball reference, is that it doesn't feel too adventurous. As a listener I prefer adventures to examples. While Brett Dennen is very good at what he does, which is write extremely listenable pop music, I can't help but feel this album is an exercise in that, instead of an exploration of it, and I always hated exercising.

Amazon Item: 

Hope for the Hopeless