Bronwynne Brent

A UK debut here for Mississippi raised Bronwynne Brent and before we say anything else a triumph over adversity as Brent’s initial plan to bring over her own musicians (including her producer Johnny Sangster) fell apart leading to plan B, a scratch band who only met the singer/songwriter two days before the show. So it was that Euan Burton, double bass player with Kris Drever and guitarist Jamie Sturt from This Silent Forest were recruited, given some sound files to work with and a day’s rehearsal with Brent on her arrival on Scottish soil. Credit to them and to Brent as the trio excelled on stage sounding for all the world as if they were road veterans and companions, Burton’s bass warming the songs while Sturt was a revelation, coaxing some sublime sounds from his guitar and effects board, always sensitive to the moods of Brent’s songs.

As for Brent herself she appears on her album sleeves as a bit of a flower child, an image belied by the almost American Gothic sound of her songs. On stage she seems like an amalgamation of the younger Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris, long flaxen hair and hesitant presence. She admitted to being nervous but once she started to sing, her voice, world weary and stained with echoes of Karen Dalton and at times Amy Winehouse had the house in thrall. Roaming from the dark folk of Dark Highway to tumbledown blues such as Wrecked My Mind Brent impressed as she invoked the spooky Americana feel of acts such as the Handsome Family , a feel that was bolstered by Sturt’s inventive sounds effects and guitar. A measure of the trio’s cohesion was the compelling version of Bulletproof, on Brent’s Stardust album an organ infused blues jaunt but tonight delivered in a spare manner before Sturt’s guitar sparked into life scattering aural gunshots from the stage. For a singer who was keen after the show to seek reassurance that her nervousness wasn’t too apparent one only has to point to the excellent rendition of Don’t Tell Your Secrets To The Wind delivered earlier. Mixing chanson and Calexico’s Tex-Mex style Brent was both coquettish and confidant while Burton and Sturt filled all spaces absent from the recorded version.

After this stage debut the trio headed off for a short UK tour and a Bob Harris session due to be broadcast in March. In the meantime tonight was a wonderful opportunity to catch a very fine songwriter and performer who might soon outgrow the relative confines of the bijou setting tonight. - Paul Kerr

BRONWYNNE BRENT TRIO & AMELIA CURRAN- JUMPIN HOT CLUB @ STUDIO LIVE THEATRE 03/02/15

What a treat this was! First off you had the intricate songs of Canadian award winning singer-songwriter, Amelia Curran followed by The fabulous Bronwynne Brent Trio.

The main act, Bronwynne Brent Trio consisted of Bronwynne Brent on acoustic guitar and vocals, plus double-bass (Euan Burton) and electric guitar, harmony vocals (Jamie Sturt) & had them making their debut trip around the UK, but with performances like this it’s sure be the first of many tours.

While her two sidemen took a little while to connect with her musically, which was partly due to them standing way to her left, they did eventually become a complete unit. By which time the audience were hooked, line and sinker with her work.

Bob Harris for one hasn’t been slow in discovering Bronwynne's talent with the Trio doing a recording session for his show (check the BBC’s website for details) while over here.

I understand it was Bronwynne’s first trip of any real distance outside her home State of Mississippi, which I found difficult to believe on hearing the little lady sing. Her ability to draw the listener in through her staggering range of vocals and nail a song was both a rarity and a delight throughout her show.

Brent’s musical style not only embraces the American South as country, blues, folk and hints of jazz are tied together, but through a fine art of story-telling she took the listener into her own very special little world.

It was interesting to hear the quiet, unassuming Brent confess to finding it hard to sit before an audience. But able to do one to ones and also talk freely with the checkout girl. But she did nothing wrong on stage and a host of things right, not least she showed great control with her voice.

Apart from a stop you dead in your tracks voice, which boasts hints of Billie Holiday and on occasions the furrow she walks isn’t too distant from the finest tones of Amy Winehouse, Brent sounded as rural and charming as they come !

As for her best songs, the dark “Devil Again” and “After You’re Gone” and an irony filled “Don’t Tell Your Secrets To The Wind” was of another class. There were other excellent songs too, plus she finished with another “Fire In The Hole”. This, as Brent acknowledged the work of the late singer-songwriter, Hazel Dickens. What a talent, what a terrific find.

Maurice Hope -( pics Charles & Juan ) - Jumpin Hot Club

Bronwynne Brent – Stardust
by Mike Davies on 8 April, 2014

Concerns about any sort of fey dippy-hippie approach evoked by the cover on which Brent sports a flowery garland are swiftly dispensed when she launches into The Mirror, an earthy, bluesy number with twangy electric and deep acoustic guitar and a high but gritty smoky voice and delivery that’s earned her comparisons to Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and even Amy Winehouse. On the violin-laced tango chanson Don’t Tell Your Secrets To The Wind. I’d even suggest echoes of Bang Bang era Cher.

Focusing on songs about women bruised, betrayed and broken, though not always without a fire of determination, the album steers a largely bluesy course although you’ll also find a desert noir mood to Devil Again, a tequila dry Mexican edge to Lay Me Down and the backwoods folk of Dark Highway, a song with a chorus melody that’s a musical cousin to Last Thing On My Mind, while Already Gone nods to country roots.

Produced by Johnny Sangster, who also provides a wealth of reverb baritone guitar, the album also benefits from Calexico’s drummer, John Convertino, and pedal steel player, Jon Rauhouse (who does a particularly fine job on the sadness soaked Marrying Kind) as well as cello, heard to good effect on the soulful sway of When You Said Goodbye, courtesy of Barb Hunter. However, it’s Brent’s very distinctive sound and assured writing ability that marks this out from the crowd, suggesting we’ll be hearing a lot more from her in the future. - Folk Radio UK

Whilst there is a high degree of excellence to all of Bronwynne Brent’s unusual songs, I suspect that what will stay in the memory will be her vocals. They are actually reminiscent of no one that I can think of although qualitatively and distinctively are up there with Joni Mitchell, Buffy Sainte Marie, perhaps even Nina Simone or Billie Holiday and others who are instantly recognizable. She imbues a lovely, hugely dramatic attacking quality to her vocals on every track, irrespective of content, ensuring that an intensely dramatic set of songs are never allowed to falter.

This is a beautifully constructed, arranged and played album of modern folk songs that lean towards dark country, but it is her often mesmeric voice that adds the extra quality to the tales, consequently lifting the album way above most of her peers, at times bringing an ethereal yet at the same time intense quality to many of the songs

The lineup for this excellent and unusual recording is Bronwynne on vocals and guitar, Calexico’s John Convertino on drums, Keith Lowe, bass, John Rauhaus plays steel guitar, banjo and dobro on some tracks, Dan Walker, keyboards, Johnny Sangster plays a variety of guitars as well as producing the album. All of the songs were written by Bronwynne and thematically could be said to be songs about relationships and yet that would be over simplifying this albums lyrical content that delves deeply into some of the clashes that happen in and around relationships, in many ways extending the subject matter way beyond simple tales of love found and love lost. They are not your average falling in or out of love stories but the twists of fate that surround those monumental events.

The album kicks off with The Mirror, with its lovely slow moody acoustic guitar getting things under way before Bronwynne’s mesmerizing vocal joins in on a song that suddenly takes off with the addition of drums, bass, Hammond and twangy guitar on a quirky tale of lost love. Don’t Tell Your Secrets To The Wind is a lovely shuffling song about someone who was long ago let down by a lover. The instrumentation and the chirpy vocal belie the sadness suffered by the subject but the instrumentation is incredibly well chosen with strings, guitars, mariachi horns and accordion deepening the atmosphere. Devil Again has a lovely banjo intro that is eventually joined by twangy chiming guitar on another beauty of a song that is lifted by Bronwynne’s incredibly atmospheric, emotional vocal on the tale of dire, if unheeded, warnings to a loved one. It is a darkly atmospheric song that in some ways can be tied in to the early recorded days of rural blues. Dark Highway is another song that evokes the early rural blues days but without overtly being a blues song. There is a quite harrowing feel to this slow moody tale of someone leaving a lover. Bronwynne seems able to put an incredible depth of feeling into the structure of the music, even ignoring the lyrics (not possible!) thanks to the perfect for purpose instrumentation blend that includes cello. On Already Gone we are treated to a gorgeous weeping steel guitar on a tale of the end of a love affair, with the solid repetitive bass giving a perfect foundation for the guitars and Hammond, thus ensuring a perfect melodicism that allows Bronwynne’s vocal to have its full impact on an emotional song. Final mention goes to the final song on the album, Marrying Kind. There is more gorgeous pedal steel guitar, this time allied to a twangy electric guitar on a song best described by its title. Generally, it includes country instrumentation on what is thematically a country song but the mix of instrumentation, Bronwynne’s vocal performance and her lyrics lifts what could on most other albums be a ‘simple country song’ to a level way above any standard generic field. A slow and moodily poetic tale to finish what is a quite stunning album.

Were Bronwynne not such a good songwriter, her vocals alone should ensure a rewarding (for us as well as her!) future, but her poetic, deep, thoughtful songwriting is of such quality that even at this relatively early career stage it is easy to see that she is the complete ‘package.’ - American Roots UK

Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, singer/songwriter Bronwynne Brent is entrenched in the rough authenticity only those who really know can claim. Her Deep Black Water, released earlier this year, is evidence of just how much she knows.
Some have called the record “gothic Americana,” while others resort to catchalls like “indie folk” or “roots” or whatever. What this is is an exploration of soulfulness and of reality, something done with the spotlight turned away and the limelight shut off. While Deep Black Water begs to be heard, part of it feels like a private conversation we’re intruding on.
Brent doesn’t seem to care about accolades, but she’s going to get a lot of them. Her forward-thinking approach mixes in the bits of neo-soul, making the rounds today with the roots and Americana vibes of yesteryear. She rises like an angel from murky waters, rumbling all the while about damaged relationships and the threadbare shards of love.
But whilst Brent travels familiar territory, her nose for sonic splendour creates a different set of standards to live by.
Her debut record opens with “Like the Thunder,” a poignant piece of music that has her frank, sharp quality speaking candid words. “If it’s crying time, just tell me so,” she sings over soft wave of sound.
Featuring the pedal steel guitar of Ricky Ray Jackson, the drums of J.J. Johnson, the bass of Chris Maresh, the guitar of David Grissom, and the Hammond B3 of Ian McLagan, Deep Black Water doesn’t want for intricate instrumentations. Brent’s voice and guitar are gifts.
More of the “nobody’s watching” honest populates the record on tracks like the painfully gorgeous “Secret” and the beautiful “The Ocean.”
Brent’s not averse to kicking things up into a higher gear, however, with stompers like “Building A Wall” and “Wrecked My Mind.” The latter had me thinking about Amy Winehouse with a folk slant, with Brent’s sassy diction calling to mind the deceased marvel. McLagan’s splashes of Hammond B3 will take listeners to church, Lord have mercy.
An exquisite record of soul-spilling radiance, Bronwynne Brent’s Deep Black Water is well worth sinking into with both feet. The clever singer/songwriter’s debut, produced by Mike McCarthy, should be heard and heard often by those with an appreciation for goodness and beauty. - Blog Critics : Jordan Richardson

IN REVIEW/Mark Shikuma

Bronwynne Brent

Old Town Coffee & Chocolates, Eureka - June 22, 2012

(JULY 5, 2012) It came to me by blind luck or coincidence. Either way, it was fortuitous that I found myself in Old Town Eureka on a nearly-abandoned, soggy, gray evening. Having heard the Austin-based singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent on the radio the day before (she had made an in-studio appearance on KHUM), I was struck by her strong, distinct voice that carried a faint Irish or British lilt, and I wanted to hear her live in Old Town. Her songs contained dark narratives of extinguished relationships. It wasn’t the straightforward heartbreak stuff. The lyrics carried a worldlier, older perspective.

The native Greenville, Miss. songwriter self released her debut full-length Deep Black Water, last year — falling under the radar of most places outside the greater Austin area. Produced by Mike McCarthy, best known for his longtime production work with Spoon, her 2011 debut sparkled with pop-influenced folk songs wrapped in a crisp, alt. country sound. Her backing band, comprised of some of Austin’s finest session musicians, included Faces keyboardist Ian “Mac” McLagan and pedal steel player Ricky Ray Jackson. Live, backed with only her guitar and harmonica, her often-melancholic songs resonated more powerfully in stark and intimate arrangements. Through her words and confident voice, the songs highlighted Brent’s eye not on a relationship’s flower, so to speak, but its thorns. In some regards, her narrators are similar to Richard Thompson’s — in their fascination, if not celebration, of characters that live on the darker side of the emotional street.


Bronwynne Brent
GALLERY >
In two 45-minute sets consisting of material mostly from Deep Black Water, Brent’s self-effacing demeanor and Southern politeness often deflected any attention from the singer, per se, and allowed all the focus to be given to each song. “When the heat is on, and the storm is moving in,” she sang, in the album’s title track, “lightning is bound to burn you, like an unassuming friend. … I want to swim in your deep black water. Make me whole again.” That’s the beauty of witnessing Brent perform: You are caught off-guard, not prepared for such dark, poetic imagery being delivered by a shy, modest messenger.

Brent also peppered her set with a number of excellent covers, including Steve Forbert’s “Tonight I Feel So Far Away From Home,” Elizabeth Cotton’s classic “Freight Train” and a superb version of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho & Lefty.” She also covered several compositions penned by her songwriting mother (two of Brent’s sisters are also singer-songwriters).

Just past the coffee shop’s large window, light rain and the last of the day’s light were coming down onto the empty gazebo. The setting served as a perfect backdrop to Brent’s double-edged lines, her subtle and adept musicianship, her resonant vocals and her depth as a songwriter.
-Mark Shikuma
- North Coast Journal

IN REVIEW/Mark Shikuma

Bronwynne Brent

Old Town Coffee & Chocolates, Eureka - June 22, 2012

(JULY 5, 2012) It came to me by blind luck or coincidence. Either way, it was fortuitous that I found myself in Old Town Eureka on a nearly-abandoned, soggy, gray evening. Having heard the Austin-based singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent on the radio the day before (she had made an in-studio appearance on KHUM), I was struck by her strong, distinct voice that carried a faint Irish or British lilt, and I wanted to hear her live in Old Town. Her songs contained dark narratives of extinguished relationships. It wasn’t the straightforward heartbreak stuff. The lyrics carried a worldlier, older perspective.

The native Greenville, Miss. songwriter self released her debut full-length Deep Black Water, last year — falling under the radar of most places outside the greater Austin area. Produced by Mike McCarthy, best known for his longtime production work with Spoon, her 2011 debut sparkled with pop-influenced folk songs wrapped in a crisp, alt. country sound. Her backing band, comprised of some of Austin’s finest session musicians, included Faces keyboardist Ian “Mac” McLagan and pedal steel player Ricky Ray Jackson. Live, backed with only her guitar and harmonica, her often-melancholic songs resonated more powerfully in stark and intimate arrangements. Through her words and confident voice, the songs highlighted Brent’s eye not on a relationship’s flower, so to speak, but its thorns. In some regards, her narrators are similar to Richard Thompson’s — in their fascination, if not celebration, of characters that live on the darker side of the emotional street.


Bronwynne Brent
GALLERY >
In two 45-minute sets consisting of material mostly from Deep Black Water, Brent’s self-effacing demeanor and Southern politeness often deflected any attention from the singer, per se, and allowed all the focus to be given to each song. “When the heat is on, and the storm is moving in,” she sang, in the album’s title track, “lightning is bound to burn you, like an unassuming friend. … I want to swim in your deep black water. Make me whole again.” That’s the beauty of witnessing Brent perform: You are caught off-guard, not prepared for such dark, poetic imagery being delivered by a shy, modest messenger.

Brent also peppered her set with a number of excellent covers, including Steve Forbert’s “Tonight I Feel So Far Away From Home,” Elizabeth Cotton’s classic “Freight Train” and a superb version of Townes Van Zandt’s “Pancho & Lefty.” She also covered several compositions penned by her songwriting mother (two of Brent’s sisters are also singer-songwriters).

Just past the coffee shop’s large window, light rain and the last of the day’s light were coming down onto the empty gazebo. The setting served as a perfect backdrop to Brent’s double-edged lines, her subtle and adept musicianship, her resonant vocals and her depth as a songwriter.
-Mark Shikuma
- North Coast Journal

Bronwynne Brent might look like another relic from the ‘70s, with her flowing brown hair, flowery frocks and guitar in hand, but that assumption proves wrong when you actually listen to her music. Hailing from the Mississippi Delta, Brent has spanned the South, playing shows everywhere from New Orleans to Nashville, writing and performing her own music. She picked up a country-Americana influence along the way. Brent has been praised for emulating Joanna Newsom and Jesse Sykes, but she is perhaps more reminiscent of Jill Sobule, or the confident, slow and catchy tracks of Jewel. With a full band backing her, Brent has the luxury of incorporating instruments like the pedal steel guitar and the Hammond B-3, which contribute to the fluidity of her music, each song gracefully transitioning into the next, freckled with delicate instrumentals.

Brent’s lyrics read like pages from her diary, asserting lines like “the cold wind it blows me, straight back to your door,” or begging the question “won’t you reassure me that it’s all right?” Luckily, Brent has an all-star band supporting her heart-spilling, and packs just the right amount of emotion into each ballad. Brent’s album, Deep Black Water, was produced by Mike McCarthy, who has the cred of working with stars like Spoon and Heartless Bastards, and her band is composed of Grammy-nominee Chris Maresh, J.J. Johnson, David Grissom, Ricky Ray Jackson and Ian McLagan. These guys, who mostly come from Austin, all have plenty of experience under their belts. Brent couldn’t have a better group of guys to help her break into the scene. - Eugene Weekly

Deep and sensual Americana/folk singer-songwriter—for an independent debut this is of very high quality...

Bronwynne Brent is a contemporary folk singer-songwriter residing in New Orleans. Her debut album DEEP BLACK WATER explores a seamless mix of Americana and folk, with a voice that is deep and resonating. Produced by Mike McCarthy (Heartless Bastards and Patty Griffin) in Austin, Bronwynne is accompanied by Chris Maresh on bass, J.J. Johnson on drums, David Grissom on guitar, Ricky Jay Jackson on pedal steel and Ian McLagan on Hammond B-3.

Opening with Like The Thunder her glorious vocals are toned and sensual, while her songs are sensitive and compelling. The title track Deep Black Water is a beautiful song, heartfelt and sorrowful, with her folk style prominently gliding throughout. Tell Me Sweet is an acoustic mellow number, almost sorrowful about losing someone you want to stay. The sweet tones of her voice are hypnotic. Wrecked My Mind is a much cooler song, soulful and gutsy, capturing the vibrancy of her performance. Thankfully is another favourite of mine on this record—the harmonies giving it a slight edge and variation in sound to what you become used to by the end of the album. Overall this record is of very high quality for an independent debut and a very promising showcase of this inspirational and highly talented singer-songwriter. Laura Bethell - Maverick Magazine-September 2011

It's become nearly impossible for me to take emerging singer/songwriters seriously with the glut of them playing coffeehouses and self-releasing haphazardly recorded "albums" independently on CDBaby and other internet outlets these days, but every once in awhile something jolts my jaded indifference and makes me take notice.

Bronwynne Brent's Deep Black Water will dare me to suffer through well-meaning but inspired pap hoping lightening will strike twice, and it will still be worth it; this is the kind of record music lovers hope and dream is still being made despite evidence to the contrary on mainstream broadcast and even internet outlets.

Brent's voice was strong enough to pierce my resistance but what really won me over was the way its warmth and richness wraps itself around you and adds dimension to the poetry and narratives in her lyrics. In addition to voice and talent, one thing that separates Deep Black Water from the glut of singer/songwriter records is the production and arrangements. Mike McCarthy produced the set and joining Brent on acoustic guitar are Ian McLagan (Small Faces) on organ, Brent's award-winning sister, Eden, on piano, and David Grissom (Joe Ely, John Mellencamp) on guitar.

There's something delicious about opening a record with a gentle, tender song called "Like The Thunder." It's a bold title yet everything about the song save for its heart is small and understated. "Building A Wall" is a stirring piece of countrified folk with weepy steel guitar accents. "Baby We'd Be Fine" echoes classic Carole King combined with a touch of '90s Lilith Fair singer/songwriter aesthetic. "You're The Ocean" works similar terrain and Ricky Ray Jackson adds more gorgeous pedal steel. "Love Like A Web" opens with Brent's voice and her acoustic guitar with subtle steel guitar cries lurking beneath, followed by an electric slide guitar solo that burns slowly, carrying the song to the end. The title track is simple, lovely and heartbreaking.

Adam Duritz said, "The internet is the best thing that has ever happened to music in the history of music," and he's right. Music listeners always had to wade through teeming piles of rubbish to find the gems but had to overcome the additional obstacle of gatekeepers restricting the flow of music and ideas. The web has unleashed a torrent of underwhelming amateurs but it has also given us the power to seek out treasures. Deep Black Water is one of them. - No Depression

Bronwynne Brent – Deep Black Water (Independent)
New Orleans singer-songwriter Bronwynne Brent recorded her debut in Austin, Tx. with Mike McCarthy producing and a stellar band, including David Grissom on guitar and The Faces’ Ian McLagan on Hammond B-3. That’s a heavyweight cast for an artist recording a debut album, but their judgement was good, and “Deep Black Water” is a super album of gothic Americana and indie folk songs. The title track is sheer perfection, but it’s not alone. “Like The Thunder” is just beautiful, a haunting pedal steel guitar snakes around Brent’s words, and “Tell Be Sweet” is a devastating love song. Fans of Jesse Sykes and Joanna Newsom should hunt a copy down.
www.bronwynnebrent.com
Sandra G. - Leicester Bangs

What is "roots music?"

It's a term I've used in who knows how many reviews and I know what I mean when I use it but I'm not sure I've ever sat and thought about what the term really means, or what it means to other people. I brainstormed the idea one afternoon and still don't have a simple, elegant definition but arrived at something a little more meaningful than "I know it when I hear it."

Roots music seems to me both pre-pop and anti-pop. Before radio segmentation, demographics, corporate takeovers, and programming consultants, you might hear just about anything on the radio. Jazz, classical, and opera might be played alongside country music with some swing or big band numbers mixed in as well. I think of "roots music" as the essence of the segmented, fragmented sounds. It's like going back before the flood and crawling back to start.

I also think of roots as anti-pop, at least the contemporary style of pop music. Roots music is organic and warm, independent of (most) modern technology. It's filled with natural sounds and air rather than digital manipulation and "studio-as-instrument" processing. It lives out on the outskirts of contemporary music, a willful outcast.

I said all that because I've spent the last few weeks listening to the debut album from singer/songwriter Bronwynne Brent. I could have described Deep Black Water as a singer/songwriter record and I'd have been correct but it doesn't do a service to you or the album. When I think of female singer/songwriters, I think of women with an acoustic guitar at Starbucks. There's nothing wrong with that kind of music -- it describes plenty of artists whose work I enjoy -- but that's not the record Brent made. There's much more to it than that.

Brent's warm, beautiful, rich voice wraps itself around you but the effect isn't lazy or nocturnal, instead refreshing and invigorating like a splash of cold water to the face from a picturesque stream. "You come rolling in like the thunder" is the opening line to the record but it's not presented to us as a roadhouse rocker or an arena anthem but in a tranquil, reflective song with subtle, lovely sonic garnishes. It is tranquil, yes, but not dark and dreary. She captures the sound of yearning throughout the record with a purity in her voice that is rare.

These are Brent's songs and she is at the center but aided by producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Heartless Bastards) and capable musicians who nourish her songs and ideas with their talents: Ian McLagan (Small Faces) plays organ, Brent's award-winning sister, Eden, adds piano, and David Grissom (Joe Ely, John Mellencamp) assists on guitar.

"Baby We'd Be Fine" echoes classic Carole King and that '90s Lilith Fair coffeehouse pop. It actually has a ring of The Sundays, if you remember them ("Summertime"). "You're The Ocean" has a little of that feel as well, only instead of King's piano you have Brent's acoustic guitar. What rescues it from the risk of blandness inherent in that kind of music is Brent's voice and gorgeous pedal steel from Ricky Ray Jackson.

"Love Like A Web" opens with Brent's voice and her acoustic guitar with subtle steel guitar cries lurking beneath. She holds the center before turning things over to an electric slide guitar solo that burns slowly, carrying the song to the end.

I love so many sounds, styles, songs, and records that have grown and blossomed from the deep roots long ago planted. We've also had a lot of weeds and overgrowth cluttering the airwaves, choking the breath of what we love. Bronwynne Brent's Deep Black Water reminds us why it's vital we never forget about our roots. - Josh Hathaway - Blinded by Sound