To these ears, a record's "interludes" and (especially) hip-hop "skits" are annoying buzzkills that do nothing to further an album's purpose. On "Green Eyed Alone," however, they give the listener a second to breathe before the next country-inflected gem starts up.
The opener, a delicate piano waltz called "Tanz den Debberstein," is one of these palette-cleansers. It immediately nudges you sideways so you're not sure what's coming next, and when that next track turns out to be the banjo-laced "Shooting Star," you're grateful.
Brandt is usually joined by his band the Urban Hillbilly Quartet and after seven records together, this is his first solo album. The music is mostly of the country/folk variety, with a few sidesteps into pop, like the catchy "Just One More Time" (which, of course, is followed by the piano instrumental, "The House on the Hill," which clears the decks for the light bluegrass of "Thousand Heartaches").
Though this all sounds like it might be musical whiplash, the eclecticism just leaves you with a constant sense of refreshment. Brandt's stylistic curveballs aren't so sudden that you're taken aback, just impressed.
There are moments when things get a little too quiet, such as the title track, but then the mid-tempo glories of "Rain" and the charming "1-4-5" are only a few songs away. By the time the pretty "The End" comes around, you're not quite ready for it, but following the credo, "leave 'em wanting more," is never a bad idea.
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