Paul Brady

Item: Say What You Feel
Author: Brian A. Smith

Say What You Feel

(2005)

Reviewed by Brian A. Smith

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Amazon Music Spotify

Label Compass RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth2005

blues folk rock pop rock

It sounds like the premise to a bad joke: What do you get when you cross an Irish singer with Southern flavored jazz? The answer is Paul Brady.

Given the connection between Irish and Appalachian music, it shouldn't come as a surprise when Brady employs blues, jazz, or southern rock into his music, yet it does. "Love in a Bubble" is a bluesy number with Paul Simon-like lyrics. "Living for the Corporation" is a working man's anthem that illustrates a common dilemma: how much does money have to do with happiness?

"Doin' It In the Dark" casts a cynical eye at the end of the world, while the title to "I Only Want You" should be self-explanatory.

Brady is probably a better songwriter than singer, but on The You That's Really You he manages to infuse a Neville Brothers tone into his vocals that make this song stand out. With guests Byron House and Bonnie Raitt, the music here is as good as it can be.

The clunker here is "Don't Try to Please Me", which is notable for its insipid lyrics such as:

I don't need no cushion
I love it when you're pushin'
'Cause baby, when you're feeling strong
That's what really turns me on.

Brady is too good of a songwriter to let this type of thing slip through. It detracts from the album as a whole, which is pretty good otherwise. It doesn't reach Trick or Treat levels, but it'll do in a pinch.

3 tocks