The British are coming! (The British are coming!)
And boy, oh, boy, they are about to take America over by storm.
This past week, I had the pleasure of witnessing two of their tremendous talents: V.V. Brown (of Northampton) and Dan Black (of London). Both artists were touring in support of their respective debut releases, Travelling Like the Light and Un.
On Wednesday, February 17, 2010, Brown put on a killer set in Hiro’s jam-packed ballroom; and the following day, Black rocked a sold-out crowd at Mercury Lounge. Fortunately, in spite of their colorful surnames, the crowds at both events were discernibly mixed.
The British and American press have cited Brown and Black as “artists to watch” in 2010. And coming to America off the strength of their reputations across the Pond, they are poised to take the global music industry by storm. If the recent successes of Sade (Soldier of Love), Coldplay (Viva la Vida), Adele (19), Estelle (Shine), and Amy Winehouse (Back to Black) are any indication, then the future looks bright for these up-and-coming artists.
That being said, I just wanted to take some time and introduce V.V. and Dan to the Blogcritics family, since their debut albums have been officially released in the States. Brown’s Travelling Like the Light hit iTunes on February 2 via Capitol Records and will hit brick-and-mortar shelves on March 30. As for Black, The Hours released Un two weeks later, on February 16.
Stand-out cuts on Travelling Like the Light include: “Back in Time, “Everybody” and “Shark in the Water.” (It’s hard for me to choose, however, because the album is filled with countless artistic gems.) My favorite tracks on Un are “U+Me,” “Yours,” which is killer when performed live, and “Symphonies” (featuring Kid Cudi).
Thanks to "magic" of YouTube, the music videos for "Shark in the Water" and "Yours" are posted below.
"Shark in the Water" [MUSIC VIDEO]
"Yours" [MUSIC VIDEO]
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