Music review: Brian Fallon – ëƵSleepwalkersëƵ
When you blend the skillful knack that Butch Walker has for crafting a lyric, Frank TurnerëƵs fiery singing passion that stays with you long after the song is over and the way Brandon Flowers stylishly offers up his heart with such a sophisticated grace, you get Brian Fallon.
The Gaslight Anthem frontmanëƵs second solo effort is a striking assortment of infectious pop and stark rock with threads of R&B neatly linking together a dozen intoxicating tracks exposing the uncertainly of life, the complexity of love and everything else that happens in between as we wander from experience to experience, battling the shadows and our own doubts and regrets.
ëƵIf Your Prayers DonëƵt Get to HeavenëƵ opens with a catchy Motown vibe that soulfully relays the need for a change with Fallon declaring, ëƵBut you gotta burn that sound of the voices out that wanna bring you to your knees/And you gotta run so far theyëƵll never find you again.ëƵ
ëƵForget Me NotëƵ is a rousing rocker that punches out a clamorous vibe as the Garden State native yearns to once again feel the little things that truly make a difference when he sings, ëƵStacy, I never thought IëƵd miss the small talk/I never knew the gift the day was/I just used to hear the time clock.ëƵ
ëƵEtta JamesëƵ is a wondrous slow burn that sounds like something Bob Dylan would have penned with its elements of pain, regret, redemption and reconciliation.
Reflections of a fragile relationship are recalled on tracks like ëƵProof of LifeëƵ and ëƵNeptune,ëƵ while ëƵCome Wander with MeëƵ and ëƵLittle NightmaresëƵ demonstrate the struggle and determination of searching for something just a little better.
ëƵSee You on the Other SideëƵ is the acoustic closer that serves as a moving declaration of a love and commitment that lasts beyond our earthly days with Fallon tenderly confessing, ëƵAnd when we both grow old/And thereëƵs nothing left to say/I want you to know/That I loved you all my days/And when we close our eyes on this lifetime/IëƵll see you on the other side.ëƵ
With ëƵSleepwalkers,ëƵ Fallon has successfully delivered one of the best albums of the new year.
Clint Rhodes is the ëƵ-Standard music reviewer. He can be reached at clinton43@me.com.

