Full Review: Brandon Clark & The American Standard – Honestly EP
Having ended his solo songwriter/singer career, Brandon Clark joined forces with guitarist Paul Lynch, drummer Paul Hedges, and bassist Chris Zeigler in January of 2009 to form what is now Brandon Clark & The American Standard. The band have recently signed up with the P Is For Panda label to distribute their music, and Honestly is their first release. If this EP is of any indication of what kind of band chemistry these Atlanta guys have while playing together, then we can expect to see some great things from this band in the future.
Brandon Clark & The American Standard play a blend of country-based, adult contemporary rock, with hints of some bluesy influences as well. Opening the Honestly EP up, “Anchor” does its name justice and anchors the listener, beginning on an electric picked riff that transitions into acoustic strumming and a backing vocal-assisted chorus. Brandon Clark’s chops are the perfect tone for this type of music, riding the instrumental mix with purpose and longing—that aspect being particularly heard on the primarily acoustic “It’s You” and phenomenal finale “That List”.
The great chemistry that the Atlanta band have together as musicians is frequently heard on the Honestly EP, and it’s here where the release truly shines. Brandon Clark and Paul Lynch are a great guitar duo, turning what could have been a set of basic four-chord songs into guitar-work showcases that could easily top much of the popular stuff on adult contemporary radio these days. The aforementioned “It’s You” exposes their knowledge of guitar scales, and fourth track “Restless” sports a bluesy guitar solo to climax the most country-oriented song on the EP. Bassist Chris Zeigler’s and drummer Paul Hedges’ work should not be left out either; the prior musician having many well-played bass lines on the EP—most notably on third track “The Rain”.
Brandon Clark & The American Standard bring it altogether for their best track, “That List”. Beginning on a riff that is reminiscent of Lifehouse’s “You and Me”, the song steadily builds on the EP’s best, heartfelt melody and crescendos into a well-crafted violin climax. Fading into silence, the Honestly EP has just showcased a band that sports a solid chemistry when playing together, bleeding with potential for even better things in the future. The production is clean, while still having that raw, intimate feel about it to bring you really close to the band while listening. Keep your eyes on these guys as they are bound to deliver even better things in the future.
Release Date: 3/9/10
Label: P Is For Panda
Buy: Panda Shop
Listen: MySpace
Review written by: Jared Ponton
Tags: adult contemporary, Brandon Clark & The American Standard, country
