David Fenichel
The depth of the songs and sonics is profound, throughout this. I happened to run into Chris in Vermont and he humbly didn't mention what he'd been up to. Extremely happy I went on my own and found this brand new release; a GEM.
Favorite track: The Heart Of Human Trafficking.
Maria T
If I could write a song that's 1/16th as good as "I Can't Sleep," I would set all my guitars on fire and call it quits.
Favorite track: I Can't Sleep.
Chris Brokaw is the consummate underground rock musician. In a career spanning thirty-plus years he has been in countless bands (Come, Codeine, Charnel Ground, The Lemonheads, to name a few) has been a sideman with everyone from Thurston Moore to GG Allin, pounded countless stages on nonstop tours, and played on over seventy recordings, including lp's, ep's, cassettes and soundtracks. 'Puritan' is his tenth solo lp and it's a killer.
From the hypnotic repetition on the extended instrumental outro of title-track opener "Puritan", the wounded grace of "Depending", to the fragile beauty of the Velvets-esque duet with Claudia Groom, "I'm the Only One for You",, and the ghost of Alex Chilton echoing through "The Bragging Rights", onto the GBV-like firestorm of 'Periscope Kids', and ending with the 'On The Beach'-era Neil Young minimal strum of his cover of the late Karl Hendricks' "The Night Has No Eyes", Brokaw has crafted an understated masterpiece. Puritan is an album that is all heartache and rebirth, resignation and joy, the kind of record that is so needed but all too rare these days. A classic from front to back.
Mark Lanegan 2020
credits
released January 15, 2021
The Chris Brokaw Rock Band :
CB - guitar, vocals
Dave Carlson - bass guitar
Pete Koeplin - drums
with special guests :
Tricia Adelmann - vocal on "I Can't Sleep"
Claudia Groom - vocal on "I'm The Only One For You"
Thalia Zedek - vocal, guitar on "The Bragging Rights" and "The Night Has No Eyes"
Recorded and mixed by Andy Hong at Kimchee, Cambridge MA 2019/2020. "Bragging Rights" and "The Night Has No Eyes", recorded by Britt Robischeaux at Cloudland, Fort Worth, TX, November 2019. Mastered at Chicago Mastering Service by Matthew Barnhart.
All songs written by Chris Brokaw except "The Night Has No Eyes" (written by Karl Hendricks, lyrics used by permission). LP layout and design by James Keeler. Front cover photo by Sasha Syeed. Band photo by Andy Hong. Chico photo by Brokaw.
Thank you : Gerard Cosloy, Andy, Britt, Griz, James K., Jimena + Emiliano, Anna + Ruthie, Julie + Bob Noyes, Erin/Jonah/Bootsie/Benjie/Dee + David Koeplin, Steve Lowenthal/VDSQ, Baptiste + Anoc, Codeine + Come, Possum, Ferries!, Charnel Ground, Lemonheads, Findlay Sandsmark, Pentagon Booking, Undertow, Born Music, my family, my friends, my pupils, all the cool clubs, all the cool people, thank you for being so cool.
A fantastic album. I can see why they didn't continue under the name The Evens, as it's a different sound with the bass added. Coriky is the Evens + Joe Lally from Fugazi on bass. If you can imagine The Evens with a slightly more funky, aggressive sound like Fugazi... that's what you get! And there's no way that can ever go wrong. What a great debut album!! smiledozer
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