Having worked with the likes of Cinematic Orchestra, Bonobo and with links to Ninja Tunes (a label more associated with electronic and breakbeat DJ’s than acoustic acts) I wasn’t sure what to expect from this release so what I found was a pleasant surprise. Brooklyn’s LD Brown, the man behind Grey Reverend, has been described as a modern day bluesman and although this EP is very much one man/one guitar, to be described as blues is somewhat misleading.
If we take the EP’s title track ‘Everlasting’, this has a certain Nick Drake feel to it and the Grey Reverend excels with his hypnotic finger picking guitar lines and haunting voice whereas the second track ‘Lament’follows a sparser route, minimal guitar work and the occasional sweeping background effects.
The more uplifting ‘Nightingale’ has been written in tribute to the great Elliott Smith, again showing Brown’s routes appearing to come from the heart of classic singer songwriters. Lyrically ‘Nightingale’tells a story, this being where the blues reference is more appropriate, and with its stripped back guitar loops you can’t help but focus on the vocals and Brown provides a tune I’m sure Elliott Smith would be proud of.
The closing track of the EP ‘When You’re A Rose‘ is pretty much just more of the same, and although Grey Reverend isn’t offering anything ground breaking with this release he has however created some beautifully crafted songs and a great introduction to the album A Hero’s Lie which is out later this year.
