Friday, November 14, 2008

LUKE BRINDLEY "Five Songs"

LUKE BRINDLEY'S new EP, "Five Songs," is nice. His voice is nice. His guitar playing is nice. (His mug is quite nice.) The problem is, it's hard to make nice music stand out.

Brindley's voice is reminiscent of Bruce Cockburn's (albeit younger and less gritty), especially on "Loving Arms." The songs are hopeful and melodic; the best is "Wrecking Ball," which rocks more than the other simple tunes.

On "Sun Gonna Rise," Brindley adds a dramatic musical-theater quality to his voice, but the song never moves anywhere. "Can't Save Yourself" is another uncomplicated tune you might hear any singer-songwriter playing on a street corner. Even the songs' instrumental solos are pared down to the point of being boring. Brindley also plays the harmonica -- a requirement these days, it seems, of any guy with a guitar. That, too, is nice.

Brindley's brother, Daniel, sings harmonies and plays the keyboard on the CD. (In 2004, the two recorded "Playing With the Light," a pop-rock album. They also own Jammin' Java in Vienna.)

"Five Songs" offers pleasant music from a talented, if not too interesting, local musician. At the very least, it doesn't offend.

-- Moira E. McLaughlin

Appearing Thursday with Ari Hest at Wolf Trap (877-965-3872 or http://www.wolftrap.org). Show starts at 8 p.m.