Jellycream

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Editorial reviews

From Amazon.com
Texas guitarslinger Doyle Bramhall II, like his Austin pal and ex-Arc Angels bandmate Charlie Sexton, has had a hard time finding a coherent style that suits his varied talents. Part pop-rock singer-songwriter and part bluesy, Stevie Ray Vaughan-influenced guitar hero, Bramhall tries to have it all with iJellycream/i. Predictably, the results, much like the Arc Angels single disc, are mixed. A funky pop tune like "Marry You," with its multitracked harmonies and stabbing guitar accents comes on like Lenny Kravitz. That's followed by "Snakecharmer," where the grizzled guitar and lowdown choruses come out of the Fabulous Thunderbirds school of Austin blues rock. Those are the two major stylistic extremes throughout the recording. A gang of pros including Sexton, keyboardist Mitchell Froom, ex-Stevie Ray Vaughan drummer Chris Layton, and producer Tchad Blake give the record plenty of chops and sheen, and Bramhall's singing has never been better. Still, if Bramhall wants to create a unique hodgepodge such as he's striving for here, he'll need stronger material. i--Robert Baird/i

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2001-02-08 rating:
What Music Today *Should* Sound Like
Although it may take awhile for the unacquainted listener to get into the music of Doyle, once you're in, you're in for good. Fans of his work with the Arc Angels (which must be heard - put a Stevie Ray Vaughan protege and another Texas guitar slinger in front of SRV's rhythm section and you get a pretty decent band) will hear only a few similarities here. pDoyle has grown up a bit in the last decade, and his song-writing, albeit more poppy than what blues enthusiasts may expect, is much more reflective. And musically, he's all over the board on this album. Rockers like "Snakecharmer" and "I'm The One" will become instant favorites if you're looking for that kind of thing. Some of my favorites on this disc, however, are slightly more laid-back and combine that sort of SRV-swaggered guitar tinge with almost Beatle-type melodies and tunes. Examples of this include "Away We Go Away," "Close to Heaven," and "Day Come Down." pBut that's not all he does - somewhere in between those two styles come "I'm Leavin'," the hypnotic "Chasin' the Sun" (which is eerie in its chord similarities to Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" - Doyle would tour with Roger Waters *after* the recording of this album), and "I Will Remember."pStill not all, however. Two songs on this album impressed Eric Clapton enough to invite Doyle into the studio to record them again with himself and B.B. King for their "Riding With the King" disc. These two tracks, "Marry You" and "I Wanna Be," each have an infectious groove that, when combined with that SRV tone, really represent Doyle at his best.pAnd although Doyle himself admits that he's not a great blues songwriter, the slow-burning "Chariot" here provides decent evidence to the contrary. Doyle also proves himself not only to be a great guitarist but a gifted vocalist as well. In fact, when he was originally signing on for a record deal, the people who'd heard his earlier material thought he was just a vocalist. His crooning blue vocal style provided an ample substitute for David Gilmour on Roger Waters' tours, and they'll take only a second to like in contrast with those of Mr. Vaughan.pI'd also recommend catching him live if at all you get the chance. This man is quickly on his way up (in the last two years he went from a locally successful solo artist to replacing the likes of David Gilmour and trading licks with B.B. King and Eric Clapton), and you can find him opening up for Slowhand himself this summer on what will be Eric's last major world tour. The live experience of Bramhall combines his newer material with spot-on SRV-like blues covers that can make Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd green with envy.pIn short, this is a must-own if you're a fan or just looking for something new to remind you of the days when music was made more with stinging guitars and soulful vocals than pop synthesizers and other electronica.

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