Monday , March 18 2024
Jerry Castle

Music Review: Jerry Castle – ‘Brand New Hello’

Jerry Castle will have a new album out this Friday, June 22, entitled Brand New Hello. It contains 14-tracks of pop rock. Brand New Hello follows Castle’s previous widely praised album, Not So Soft Landing, which included “She Kills,” a song that hit #1 on the Roots Music Report’s Folk Rock chart.

Brand New Hello travels the narrative of an American family man who’s emotionally and financially impoverished. Surrounded by people – his ex-wife and friends – who cherish the trappings of wealth and belongings, he packs up his kids and moves to Costa Rica. In effect, he’s doing what we’ve all contemplated at one time or another – he runs away. And in doing so, he rediscovers the miracle of life and what it means to be alive.

“Each song unpacks a piece of the storyline, but I wanted the songs to stand on their own, too, so everyone can enjoy it. I wanted to cover everything that’s been influential to me, while trying something new, too. Because if you’re just making the same album over and over, why even bother?” says Castle.

Recorded in his home studio, Brand New Hello took seven months to produce and is flavored with buoyant tempos, tiered harmonic textures, and tantalizing modern pop elements.

The best tracks on the album include “The Moment,” a blend of pop, R&B, and electro-pop rhythm. “Lunatic God” and “Curtain Call” offer a heady mixture of nuanced pop rock rife with muscular energy.

My two favorites are “Lil Bit” and “Room to Dance.” The latter exudes SoCal soft rock and pop colors riding on a crisp, smooth tune. Castle’s southern drawl infuses the lyrics with dreamy elegance. “Lil Bit” exudes a heavier rock feel, but still retains a pop mood and feel. Velvety vocal harmonies imbue the tune with a quasi-gospel savor.

Brand New Hello delivers glossy, flowing music, contagious rhythms, and Castle’s gracious voice. The tunes are clean yet brawny enough to make for effortless listening.

Follow Jerry Castle on jerrycastle.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

About Randall Radic

Left Coast author and writer. Author of numerous true crime books written under the pen-name of John Lee Brook. Former music contributor at Huff Post.

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