Despite recording Action Park & The Indian Summer entirely by himself, Michael Brawer wanted to use a band name to represent the multi-instrumental rock that he was recording. From this, The Essex Lights was born, and the music world is a better place because of it. The Essex Lights’ 2010 EP is a phenomenal recording of five songs that deftly combines catchy hooks with funky bass lines and driving, bluesy guitars. The tracks are nearly perfect, and are so exquisitely made that it’s hard to believe one person has invented so much, even with the wonders of multi-tracking.
The lead track, “Those Kind of Eyes”, gives off a blues feeling with its pulsating organ keyboards and guitar tone akin to Robert Cray. Underneath it all is a bass line that borders on funk backed with a fairly standard but well performed drum track. Brawer rattles off lyrics about two lovers trying to forget the world in each other’s presence and warmth. “Well it’s hard to be a cynic/laying in the afterglow“. Brawer sings it with conviction. About four and a half minutes into the track, a wonderfully placed horn comes in to add to the dynamic. A minute later, Brawer begins to solo and the whole song smolders with intensity.
The following track, “Postcards From Rio”, has a slightly exotic atmosphere made from the light percussion, varied guitar styles, and harmonica. Brawer sings about trying to take his mind off a damaged relationship, despite everything reminding him of his partner. In a bit of sly, self-deprecating humor, Brawer mentions that his love loves Bob Dylan, and though he’s not as good as him, he leaves a part of his heart in these songs when he sings them. Once again, as the song builds, more and more instruments are thrown in to build to a fantastic ending.
At the center of the EP, and deservedly so, is the masterpiece “A Song For Ella Mae”. Named for a guitar he purchased, every little nuance of this song is dripping with excellence. The main riff is played low enough that the funk bassline, the propulsive rhythm guitar, the immensely catchy chorus can all be heard perfectly. Brawer isn’t an excellent vocalist, but he uses his voice excellently. The way he picks up his tone as he crashes into the chorus is one of the main hooks of the song. This song alone is easily worth the price of the EP.
The ballad of the EP, “Hang In There, Kiddo”, is not the strongest song here, but that’s mostly based on Brawer’s voice. As previously mentioned, Brawer is not an excellent vocalist. Because rock ballads are oft reliant on vocal power, this song doesn’t quite work as well as the others. Fortunately, the acoustic bass and synthesized strings and keyboards all make for a beautifully arranged song that is just as well written as the tracks before it.
Finally, “Curve” revisits the sound of “Those Kind of Eyes” to round out the album. While both songs feature similar arrangements, “Curve” has some stronger soloing, a more pronounced bass rhythm, and a bit more of an experimental rock sound at parts where Brawer plays around with some guitar effects. It closes out the album in the best way possible, by bringing it back to the beginning . In a way it’s symbolically fitting; it would seem The Essex Lights never go out. They just continue to shine.
Action Park & The Indian Summer is astonishingly good. What it lacks in quantity is makes up for in quality of songwriting and musicianship. As an added bonus, most of the songs are around the five to six minute mark and only continue to sound better the longer they go on. Michael Brawer has proven himself to be very talented as a musician and a songwriter. With any good fortune, The Essex Lights will be producing a full-length album with the same love, care, and expertise that this EP was crafted with.
Review by Heath Andrews
