According to my calculations, Paul Brady celebrates forty years as a professional musician this year. You certainly wouldn’t think so – looking at the fresh-faced (and decidedly blonder than usual) chap staring out from the cover of his first album since 2001’s Oh What A World. And if his gruelling touring schedule is anything to go by (he treks around the US in Feb followed by an Irish/UK tour) the man from Strabane shows little sign of slowing down.
On first listen, Say What You Feel appears to be a more subdued collection with a higher proportion of slow-burners than of yore. And to my limited musical ears, there are a lot more minor and Major 7th chords here than we’re used to from Brady – hence a sweeter, more melodically accessible sound. This is no bad thing and it certainly opens on a strong note with ‘Smile’ – a classic Brady ballad in the mould of ‘Nobody Knows.’ With a gorgeous melody and “think-positive” lyrics, recalling James Taylor’s ‘Secret O’Life’ it’s a dead cert for a slew of future cover versions. A straight-forward love song, ‘I Only Want You’ rolls along at a similarly mellow pace setting the template for much of the overall sound on the album.
As with his last collection, most of the songs here are collaborations with various (mainly American-based) songwriters, though curiously a few are co-written with one John Kelly. ‘Living For The Corporation’ is their joint-take on the Working-For-The Man theme, as explored in the past on songs as diverse as Springsteen’s ‘Factory’ and Dolly Parton’s ‘Nine To Five’.
‘The You That’s Really You’ might have an unwieldy title but it’s another strong song and the nearest thing to a country tune here, while the funky, ‘Love In A Bubble’ boasts more of a Memphis soul/blues feel than anything you might associate with Music City. ‘Locked Up In Heaven’ has a Broadway musical atmosphere about it – not quite sure if it works but Brady’s musical ideas have a habit of growing on you over time. No such question marks hang over the smoulderingly soulful title track – an instantly impressive number and yet another standout on an album chock-full of memorable gems.
Without question his most satisfying collection in a long while.