Pre-Code Hollywood

Jonathan Brees post-Brunettes solo career is built around slight variations on a solid theme of restraint, sophistication, and heartbreak. A Little Night Music wrapped Brees dolorous vocals and Ginsu knife-sharp lyrics in the trappings of classical music, for example, while After the Curtains Close added sex and desperation to his lyrical toolbox. The stylistic variations are woven tightly into the core of his music, always working in perfect harmony and making each release another piece of an impressive body of work. Pre-Code Hollywood is another record where the words seem dredged from the depths of Brees turbulent soul, delivered in tones that are low enough that they wouldnt wake the neighbors. It also falls in line with the kind of lightly orchestrated, intricately arranged sound hes been perfecting for years. The record sounds so crisp and clean it could be used for a demo disc at a hi-fi shop. The twist this time out is that Bree fell into some 80s nostalgia while writing the record, so much so that he took a flier and emailed a favorite producer from the era to see if he might help out with some production. To his happy surprise, Nile Rodgers was interested and ended up producing and playing guitar on two songs. Both "Miss You," which features a typically lovely vocal assist from frequent collaborator Princess Chelsea, and the title track benefit greatly from Rodgers presence. He gives the latter some funky propulsion with his trademark guitar style, and his stuttering strumming on the latter acts like a beating heart peeking through the icy exterior. Indeed, much of the album sounds like it was packed in dry ice. Chilly synths team up with Brees monochromatic vocals to create a mood, and the frozen space between the notes on many of the songs helps turn down the heat as well. It works very well on uptempo tracks like "When We Met" -- that sound low-key but dramatic enough to fit perfectly in a John Hughes movie, if one of those actually had some realistic depth. A couple of the ballads have that mix of restrained grandeur and teardrops, too, and Bree even gets swept up so much by the melodic beauty of "Well All Be Forgotten" that he pushes past his usual vocal style to indulge in some first-rate crooning. That song is maybe the most 80s-sounding on the record, sneaking in some New Order bass and a classic OMD feel. Bree isnt pulling a kind of nostalgic heist though; hes using the sounds as shorthand references to get his feelings across in a new way. Its far more satisfying to hear an artist do this kind of subtle borrowing than just slapping a bunch of cliched 80s stuff on and calling it good. Here and always, Bree never takes the easy route. Hes out to create serious art with serious heart, and Pre-Code Hollywood is a stunning example of just how skilled he is at that pursuit. ~ Tim Sendra