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Brian Joseph
King of Echo Park
(FrogSongs)
First Appeared in The Music Box, September 2004, Volume 11, #9
Written by T.J. Simon
Brian Joseph is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter with a voice
reminiscent of Jules Shear, and his latest release King of Echo Park
showcases the multi-talented former actor as an adept musician who is
comfortable exploring a variety of styles. Adorned with horns and an upright
bass, Ways of the Cool, the collection’s strongest track, begins in a
jazzy, mid-tempo manner before it slowly mutates into a hook-heavy rocker, and
his cracks at the alt-country style pay dividends on a pair of charming cuts (Cal’s
Chevy and No Big Deal), both of which feature a pleasant dobro
accompaniment that rolls over his thoughtful lyrics.
Joseph is also a much better guitarist than most on the singer-songwriter
circuit, and his songs often are laced with fancy finger-style picking, as heard
on What’s that Sound and Louise. As for his piano compositions,
such as Cordelia and Nobody Misses You, they tend to be more
simplistic in a Randy Newman kind of way. Joseph is clearly at his best,
however, when incorporating elements of jazz into his songs — as he does on Walk on Alvarado, a delightful love letter to Los Angeles. His ballads, on
the other hand, contain gentle, atmospheric, and lullaby-like qualities that
occasionally create a relaxing mood — as on the harmony-rich title track — but
also sometimes invite the listener’s mind to wander — as on King of Echo Park’s
only clunker God Bless the Storm.
Still, Joseph clearly puts a lot of time into his lyrics, which certainly
will be appreciated by those who listen to a lot of contemporary folk. The
lead-off track God Save the King does a nice job at illustrating the
blurred lines between activism, patriotism, and domestic terrorism. He also
can’t resist a good novelty song. The Road to Endarkenment takes a jab at
the meditation and yoga craze as the music fuses impressive fingerpicking with
the playfulness of a tuba, and Hallalujah is a humorous gospel number
about a robber who finds success by dressing up as a priest. Overall, King of
Echo Park is no masterpiece, but it’s still an immensely appealing album
that fans of singer-songwriter fare will enjoy mightily.  ½
King of Echo Park is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2004
The Music Box
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