popwreckoning

Englishman Findlay Brown’s U.S. debut Love Will Find You, produced by Verve Forecast, is a fun merger of Brown’s musical influences compiled into a ‘60s sound that comes off recorded for present day. Roy Orbison, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Diamond and the Beatles all had a hand in molding Brown’s musical style and this collection of ten songs gives off a familiar doo-wop, Motown, ‘60s music feel.

Brown’s 2007 United Kingdom debut, Separated by the Sea, was met with high praise and critical acclaim by London’s top music reviewers. After breaking his leg due to being struck by a taxi cab, Brown began his recuperation by taking the next few months to revisit his favorite artists, strip down their lyrics, study songs and rest on his sister’s sofa. With a busted leg and no distractions, Brown went to work on his latest release, Love Will Find You, and after a few listens it has found me.

During my initial once-over of this album, I thought, “Oh man, what is this? Will anybody want to listen to ‘60s music made for today?” But, once I really put my ear toward the music I started to gain an appreciation for Brown’s musical style, his nod to the sounds of yesteryear and his effort-filled attempt to create a classic throwback for the Baby Boomer in all of us.

Welcome to the time warp; a place where drive-in movies, “Leave it to Beaver,” and Elvis reign supreme.

The album kicks off with the title track “Love Will Find You,” which gives off the aforementioned Elvis Presley vibe giving hope to lonely girls, lonely guys and the love struck everywhere. Brown’s lyrics are akin to a hopeless romantic and he delivers them in a slow paced, but innately beautiful manner created by guitar play, drums and the “tings” of bells. Brown nails the ‘60s pop music feel and the overall charm of this record is how songs sound so simple, yet poppy.

The classic sound resonates through every track delivering fast, slow, uplifting, heart throbbing love songs. Personal stand outs include “All That I Have,” “That’s Right,” and “Holding Back The Night,” because of their fast paced rock-and-roll presence in an otherwise slowed down love letter to the 1960s.

Love Will Find You, will be released in the US on Tuesday, January 12. For more information on Findlay Brown, the album’s release and to give his songs a listen for yourself, head to his MySpace page. You can take a listen to an acoustic rendition Love Will Find You‘s closing track, “I Had a Dream,” below.

Findlay Brown – “I Had A Dream” (acoustic)

Tracklisting:
01. Love Will Find You
02. Nobody Cared
03. All That I Have
04. Everybody Needs Love
05. That’s Right
06. Teardrops Lost In The Rain
07. Holding Back the Night
08. If I Could Do It Again
09. I Still Want You
10. I Had A Dream

Findlay Brown: myspace

Say what you will about Jack White…but there’s no denying the fact that his Energizer mind works in marvelous ways. After seeing It Might Get Loud earlier this year it became clear to me, and maybe only me, that he is a consummate artist. We watched him pull inspiration from the far reaches of music’s history, pay homage to the deep, Southern soul at the heart of his work, and experiment with heavy, disparate metallic howls in the upstairs attic of an abandoned Victorian home, in the same way that a mad scientist might tamper with boiling beakers—deranged and raw.

2010 will see White return to the mixer in the role of producer. Remember that fantastic album he made in 2004, Van Lear Rose, with Loretta Lynn? This time around White intends to reinvent the touted “Queen of Rockabilly,” Wanda Jackson, a one-time tour mate and lover of Elvis Presley, a dynamic collaboration that is sure to feed the “little bit o’ Country, little bit o’ Rock and Roll” thing that White does so well. In fact, I’m going to go ahead and make this my first “most anticipated release” for 2010.