The Day Is Brave

Brendan James | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 3, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B0017I1FRQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (110 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,224 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Though James was always told he had a powerful voice, he didn't begin writing songs until his sophomore year at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. While at home in Derry on Christmas break, James was approached by a local music teacher, Kevin Kandel, who had heard him sing "Candle in the Wind" at the funeral for James' best friend's mother. "Kevin said to me, `I can't get your voice out of my head. You have something very unique inside of you and I think you should learn to play an instrument and try to write your own songs.' We then spent the whole night listening to hundreds of records by classic artists like the Beatles and Bob Dylan and Stevie Wonder, and he'd point out the phrasing and songwriting style of each one. By the next morning, I was hooked. It just fueled this thing inside me and I went back to school with a brand-new fire."

James taught himself to play piano and took a year off from school to spend time in L.A. writing songs. "I was so passionate about songwriting, I wanted to get involved in the music scene and start performing," he says. In 2002, he returned to Chapel Hill, graduated, and moved to New York City, where he toiled at Urban Outfitters by day and performed at open mics around Manhattan's East Village at night. To gain access to a piano to practice, James would sneak into hotel ballrooms around the city. "I'd dress to look like a guest at the Plaza Hotel, so I could walk in there unnoticed," he says. In 2003, James' manager was able to get a demo James had made to Carly Simon at her home on Martha's Vineyard "just to see what would happen," James says with a laugh. Two weeks later, he received a call from the legendary singer/songwriter, who told him that she couldn't get enough of his voice and had begun singing his songs around the house. "It was surreal," James recalls. "She was so complimentary, not only of my voice, but of the songs. She told me I needed to keep writing." Simon asked James to come to Martha's Vineyard, where the two recorded a version of her Oscar-winning song "Let the River Run," for the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Encouraged by his new mentor, James continued to write and perform and eventually caught the attention of Capitol Records, which signed him to a recording contract in 2005. However, when the infrastructure at the label imploded, James became a free agent. Seeing a golden opportunity, he took the money from his termination agreement with Capitol and recorded As Oceans Rise on his dime and his own terms, enlisting producer Mikal Blue before James even knew how, or if, the album would be released. Blue, who would go on to score a platinum record with Colbie Caillat, helped James capture the intimacy of his live performance. "I said to Mikal, `I've done a lot of shows over the last few years and I want to give the audience as real and genuine a performance as possible when it comes to the vocals and piano playing.' And what I like most about Mikal is that he really listens to the artist and tries to figure out how to give them what they want."

James finished tracking the songs on The Day Is Brave in June and released a four-song digital EP via iTunes, entitled The Ballroom Break-In in honor of his days sneaking into hotel ballrooms. The EP reached #13 on iTunes' Alternative/Pop chart and the digital retailer's editorial staff dubbed James a top singer/songwriter to watch in 2008. Since then, James, who's played with Carly Simon, Joss Stone, Corrine Bailey Rae, Robert Cray, and Keb Mo, among others, has kept busy performing in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Chapel Hill as he waits for The Day Is Brave to be released by his new label Decca/ Velour Records.

"It feels great to make this record on my own terms," James says. "These songs have been pent up in my mind for years and to get them finished and out there for people to hear is extremely exciting. I'm looking forward to playing for anyone that will listen."

Product Description

With his warm, rich tenor and emotionally powerful songs, Brendan James announces himself as an artist-to-watch on his dazzling debut album The Day Is Brave. Rooted in the classic singer/songwriter tradition, with its introspective lyrics and unforgettable melodies, the album is 11 tracks of stunning songcraft: elegant, earthy, and displaying a total lack of artifice that is rare in the pop world these days.

Influenced by the understated simplicity of the Carly Simon, James Taylor, and Carole King records he grew up with, James knew he wanted his debut to sound natural and unaffected. The phrase stripped-down is so overused, and bare-bones doesn t really describe it, he says, but I wanted the simplicity of the art to come through. I wanted it to have tasteful blend of folk and pop influences.

Brendan James Photos

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Confluence Of Honest, Heartfelt Songs, August 5, 2008

By 

Philip R. Heath "Gadgets, Music, & Books" (DFW) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Day Is Brave (Audio CD)

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Brendan James is a bit of a departure from my normal listening preferences, but I wanted to branch out a little. The Day Is Brave turned out to be an interesting choice for doing so. You will not find high energy rock, up-tempo blues, or the twang of folk/country on this CD. No, the focal point of The Day Is Brave is James himself be it his vocals, lyrics, or piano playing.

Vocally, Brendan James has a very smooth, rich baritone voice. He has good range and rhythmic variety, yet his delivery is clear and easy to understand. When he sings, it reminds of Elton John or George Michael but with a somewhat deeper voice. Like both of these artists, James sings with a great deal of emotion because...

Lyrically, James wears his emotions on his sleeve. On "The Other Side" he contrasts what he has become against the struggles of growing up as a kid who didn't fit in - "Oh Mother, look how your boy turned out/300 miles from that small town." "Green" and "Early April Morning" are both songs where James works out his past love experiences. While these are typical songs to find an artist write about, James does rise above the everyday with his protest of the Iraq war, "Hero's Song". Here he gives the perspective of the front line soldier who has been to Iraq. (I am merely informing the reader of the songs content, and it is not my purpose to state agreement or disagreement. Each individual must decide for themselves where they stand on this matter without my influence one way or the other.) Combining the vocal delivery and lyrics, one cannot mistake the fact that the subjects that Brendan James sings about are very important to him.

Instrumentally, James piano playing is the centerpiece of the CD. While he is supported by typical guitar, bass, and percussion instrumentalists, none of these are what sticks with you after listening to the The Day Is Brave. It is the piano that completes the picture started by the lyrics and vocal delivery.

While this is not a CD that I will listen to on an everyday basis, I do think it is good for what it is. The music is not high energy, but I would not call it relaxing either - unless you intend to ignore the lyrics. No, it is too thought provoking for that. However, when we find ourselves inundated with mindless drivel, we must acknowledge that which rises above it. Is this CD for you? Maybe... It depends.

Download this: Early April Morning

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An album above the rest, August 9, 2008

By 

midnight821 (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day Is Brave (Audio CD)

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Brendan James has a great voice that has depth and range. His songs also have good melodies that go beyond the typical songs of today. There are not many songs on The Day is Brave that stretch the limits in terms of depth, but it does have excellent melodies. Put that together with stories that his songs tell and you have a great album. "Green" is a great start to the album, it's upbeat and sets a good feel for the rest of the songs.

"Hero's Song" is an example of James' songs are better at telling stories. It's not a song that just repeats over and over. It's a story that has a slower tempo accompanying it. "The Other Side" has a more varied beat and strays a little bit from the other songs, but I consider it to be a great addition.

Some people think that Brendan James' songs all sound the same, but I certainly disagree. I think they offer plenty of melody, depth (in both tone and meaning), and tempo. This is a great album that has plenty of songs that will be played over and over. It's great to have a CD with 10-11 great songs instead of just 2 or 3. Highly recommended.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like a tender, beautiful ache in the heart, August 10, 2008

By 

nychen (GA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Day Is Brave (Audio CD)

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Put the CD on Play, and the sounds of a piano plays, then the voice of a guy who speaks his soul, who sings his heart out and you just cannot help but listen and fall deep in love with the lyrics and the music, which all blends together so well, like it was meant to be something you hear on the radio, every s i n g l e day.

***Like a tender, beautiful ache in the heart***
- that's what Brendon James's voice sounds like to me. It's a natural smooth voice that soothes and cools, it's hard to describe - you just have to hear it.

I haven't been amazed by any artists in awhile and I listen to alot of new music on the radio, from the media/movies/tv and even online streams, you don't hear a pureness like you do from James's voice and his music. When you hear his music, it's not the stories told in his honest lyrics that grab you first, it's the tone, the instrumental and atmosphere of his music that lures you in, and then you start listening and hearing and understand his songs.

I love that Brendan James is a singer, but mainly that he is also a writer of his own music, that seems to be a rare talent these days. His stories flow, and are very emotional from his voice and it pulls you in the more you listen.

"The Day Is Brave" is a wonderful CD - romantic, calming, tragic, touching and so raw in a human way. I'm glad to have discovered Brendan James, and I hope you'll give him a listen. May James continue to sing and write passionately for many many CDs to come so that we may continue to enjoy his talent for many many years!