Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir
We Believers
Independent
4.5 out of 5 stars
Blake Brown is a lucky man. The Denver singer/songwriter is a solid lyricist and wordsmith, who skips over obvious phrasing for more sophisticated, nuanced storytelling. He’d be fine with just an acoustic guitar, but that’s where Brown’s luck comes in, in the form of The American Dust Choir.
The Dust Choir adds everything from delicate vocal harmonies and a string quartet to the fuzzy, psychedelic and occasionally bombastic accompaniment by Denver guitarist Andy Hamilton, formerly of Houses, along with members of (get this) The Fray, WovenHand, Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots, The Centennial, The Films, and Varlet.
Recorded and mixed by Xandy Whitesel (Bon Iver) at Mighty Fine Productions in Denver and mastered by Brian Lucey (Paul McCartney, Black Keys), the album is teaming with textures, intricacies and wonderfully crafted songs, most of which are “based-on” songs written by Brown, with Dust Choir members contributing.
The folk undertones are tested and pushed throughout by the Dust Choir, effortlessly taking songs to massive crescendos and gently bringing them back to calm, familiar ground. It’s a fantastic debut.
