Written by James Killen
A friend led me to Cory Branan’s CD, “Mutt”, right after it came out and I have been an avid fan ever since. His diversity of styles, his witty lyrics, his high energy and his guitar virtuosity place him right at the top of my watch list for new releases, so I preordered “Adios” and waited anxiously for its arrival. I was not disappointed.
“Adios” mixes Branan’s purely original songs with songs that he seems to have written as tributes to artists that have influenced his own musical journey. “I Only Know” features lyrics in Cory’s witty, defiant style over a melody that could easily have been one of Buddy Holly’s. Imagery fills the lyrics of “Imogene”, about a relationship that went bad and features a horn section that fits the bittersweet mood. If you can imagine Bruce Springsteen growing up in Virginia, you have a pretty good idea of the sound on “Blacksburg”, a song about a small town prostitute. Robbie Crowell even channels the spirit of Clarence Clemons for a feisty saxophone solo.
“Yeah, So What” fits a cocky pick up line to a Ramones style rhythm line with an organ fill that reminds me of Joe “King” Carrasco. There is a Tom Petty ring to “You Got Through” about the confused feelings left from a one night stand. Branan wanes country on a tribute to his father, “The Vow”. There are memories of JJ Cale aroused on the bluesy, “Walls, MS”. Again, Cory relies on descriptive imagery for a very bluesy waltz, “Cold Blue Moonlight”, which boasts some bold haunting guitar stylings with a Hammond B3 fill.
Branan rocks it with his witty state of the union address, “Another Nightmare in America” with lines like “We’ve hollowed out our Bibles to hide our golden guns”. “Chameleon Moon” chronicles a conversation between a bartender and a victim of a recent heartbreak in a bar full of veterans of broken hearts. Branan stays in the barroom for the tale of an older woman drinking and hanging on to the memory of a lover long ago on “Equinox”.
“Don’t Go” is a romantic chronicle of a couple’s relationship and marriage that starts just before World War II and lasts until death. The tempo picks up again for “Visiting Hours” about a rocky relationship in the music business. “My Father was an Accordion Player” is a waltz about a man bitter about having his music career passed over by the coming of rock and roll, leaving him to play local parties.
“Adios” addresses themes of death and loss, losing loved ones, either from failed relationships or to the end of life. Even though Branan goes out of his way to use musical styles of his own influences on a number of these tunes, a number of them are just pure Cory Branan and they all feature his adept wordsmithing. This disc is a great addition to Mr. Branan’s portfolio and I highly recommend it.