North Hollywood Skyline

Album Review

While the title refers to the old Dylan album Nashville Skyline, Brady Harris' music is more Liverpool meets Laurel Canyon. Liverpool for its Beatles-esque touches, from Harris' Lennon-ish vocals to the George Martin-evoking string arrangements. And Laurel Canyon for the disc's relaxed Southern Californian country-rock elements. A Texas native, Harris now lives down the hill from Laurel Canyon in North Hollywood. The opening tune, Get The Losers Out, gets the disc off on a sparkling start. Harris wraps up his jab at losers - be they politicians or just people who "come around and bring their doubts" — in a warm, melodic setting. Throughout the record, he impressively walks the line between pop and twang. Bottom Of The Bottle suggest the Stones' Dead Flowers with a little less malice and none of Jagger's exaggerated Southern drawl. His use of strings and pedal steel (as in songs like Sweethearts of the Rodeo and Westward Heaven) injects a dreamy quality to his music. This mood is enhanced by his tendency to layer his vocals. The lovely title track, with a gentle finger-picked guitar, exudes a lush folk feel that conjures up memories of the young Simon & Garfunkel. The disc, overall, has a more laidback sound than his previous outing Lone Star. Harris, however, wisely shakes up the pace midway through with the sarcastic ditty We're Alt.Country (& Yer Not). This terrific jibe at the alternative country scene ranks up with Robbie Fulks' wickedly pointed Roots Rock Weirdoes. North Hollywood Skyline, in fact, could benefit from a few more shots of energy. The album tends to drift off a bit, under the swell of strings and dreamy vocals. Still, his languorous leanings don't totally undercut the reality that Harris has crafted a highly pleasurable listening experience.