The last time Brett Wiscons was on the show, he was lead singer of a popular local band who had written a few songs and recorded them on their first EP, which was due to arrive in grand spectacle the following week; I was a newbie podcaster, recently divorced, and just re-learning out how the whole "dating thing" worked. This time, a mere three and a half years later, Brett is a full-time musician and songwriter who has written a lot of songs, the best of which were hand-picked to be on his first solo release, Close My Eyes; I am a veteran podcaster, remarried, with my first born due to arrive in grand spectacle the following week. This also explains why this interview is three months old, arriving after the hiatus I mention, instead of before it -- but, enough of that sentimental, personal stuff.
The point of all that was how much things can change in a mere three and a half years. While I loved the Great Scott! EP, Close My Eyes takes Brett's singing as well as his songwriting into a slightly different, more-sophisticated area, but not so far away that fans of his earlier work will feel at all alienated. While the entire album is somewhat low-key and laid-back (sorry, no big rockers or fast-movers on this one), Brett explores different ways of presenting the material and delivery with a surprisingly diverse set of six tracks, each showcasing their own particular strength. Whether it's the powerful vocal delivery of the title track, the emotion-filled wails of Love Lightly, the sophisticated lyrics of Her Life, or the slow drive and easy swing of Help Myself, this is a very accessible work that showcases a great singer/songwriter and should please almost any fan of laid-back music and introspective lyrics.
