John Joseph Brill at Sound City 2017
As John Joseph Brill returns his former hometown for a date at Leaf as part of his UK and European tour, Getintothis’ Paul Fitzgerald looks forward to the the gig and new material.
“All Eyes”, the new John Joseph Brill song, sees the former Liverpool resident take a slight step away from the more pensive and introspective sound of previous releases such as the critically acclaimed “I’m Not Alright” single or the “Pieces” EP.
Produced once more by Andrew Davie of Bears Den, the darkness is still there in “All Eyes”, held high in the deep baritone burr, of his voice. The brooding atmosphere starts with the drum and synth strings intro and builds through the vocal, bringing him to a big-hooked chorus.
The lyrics, full of shadow, emotional intensity and mystery, speak of whisky, of back streets, creaking doors, and the light of the moon. One thing Brill celebrates in his writing is darkness, and though “All Eyes” has a strong pop sensibility about it, the darkness still … well, shines.
While keeping the bass and drums solid and insistent, the synths weave long drawn out chords underneath fuzzy guitar lines. It’s unmistakably Brill’s work, and continues the trajectory he’s taken since he left his London based band, packed his things and moved to Liverpool for a new start a few years back.
That said, it is also a marked step uptempo from what we’ve come to expect. Its a song with a dirty, edgy swagger, and something he’s wanted to do for a while…
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As Brill explains, “I’ve wanted to release a song like ‘All Eyes’ for ages, it was intended as a song for frenzied, Friday night dancing in sweaty indie clubs but one that retains all the darkness of the songs that have come before it. A brooding, moody, sexy, hi-shaker of a song. A song you wouldn’t take home to meet your parents…”
The UK leg of the tour calls at Leaf on Bold Street on November 17, before heading off to finish with a few dates in Germany and Amsterdam.
Nov 11 – Oxford – The Cellar
Nov 12 – Cardiff – Clwb Ifor Bach (Downstairs)
Nov 13 – Nottingham – The Bodega
Nov 14 – Manchester – Soup Kitchen
Nov 16 – Glasgow – King Tuts
Nov 17 – Liverpool – Leaf
Nov 18 – Newcastle – Think Tank Underground
Nov 20 – London – The Lexington
Nov 21 – Cologne – Studio 672
Nov 22 – Hamburg – Nichtspeicher
Nov 23 – Berlin – Privatclub
Nov 24 – Amsterdam – Paradiso
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