CD - Danny Brooks: No Easy Way Out

This is going to sound horribly like a broken record (no pun intended) but here we go again - another solid slice of southern R&B from a very fine singer / songwriter that is yet again in great danger of being unjustly overlooked by the UK record buying public. Not that it's entirely their fault - as far as I can tell, there is no UK distribution for this latest release from Danny and so if you want to get hold of a copy, your best bet is to pick it up from his own website.

His last release ("Rock This House") was an excellent record, again undermined in the UK by a lack of a distribution deal. This one is even better - recorded in Nashville, produced by Johnny Sandlin with contributions from some of the Muscle Shoals elite, including David Hood, Spooner Oldham, Kelvin Holly, Scott Boyer and Bonnie Bramlett, it's another very fine slice of Southern R&B, blues, country and gospel.

What makes this release a worthy successor to its predecessor is that, if anything, the songwriting is even better. Opening with 'Ain't That The Truth', a tribute to Danny's many heroes that he managed to see live as a kid in downtown Toronto, the album achieves a fine balance in terms of both tempo and mood. Any number of the ballads are worth highlighting and the Shades favourites include 'All God's Children', 'Miracles For Breakfast' and the title track, which features guest vocalist Bonnie Bramlett. Up-tempo standouts include the opener and 'Bama Bound' (a heartfelt tribute to the American South),

What hold all of this together of course is that trademark Brooks vocal - gruff, gritty and sincere, it drags you into the music and holds you in its emotional grip from start to finish. It has been said that maybe it's a voice that needs to ease down, smooth out a little, to generate genuine commercial appeal - there might be some truth in this view, except of course that would completely miss the point of what makes Danny's music so compelling.

His best yet - fresh and vibrant but never straying from his musical heritage. Roots music that pays tribute to the past without simply recreating it.

Until or unless you find this on UK distribution, you can get it by clicking on the "Buy Now" link under the CD image - it will definitely be worth the effort.