Album Review: That’s Just The Way That It Goes – Ty Brando
11 years ago Liv Carter 3
That’s Just the Way that it Goes – Ty Brando (2013)
Many will recognize Ty Brando as a fixture on the writer’s night scene here in Nashville. He hass hosted many over the years, but as he doesn’t often play at them, you don’t often get to hear some of the excellent songs he writes. His new record, That’s Just The Way That It Goes should fix that though.
The first thing you notice is Brando’s laid back, raspy delivery that goes along nicely with the largely acoustic arrangements that permeate the seven songs contained here. He doesn’t go crazy, but shows himself to be a great melody singer, and the songs seem as though they were written with his voice in mind, which makes a big difference.
Brando and his co-writers have turned in some excellent tunes. ‘When You’re Puttin’ Your Boots On,’ questions an ex-lover as to whether or not she still has him in mind when she puts on the boots he bought for her long ago. It’s a cool idea for a song and is well-written to boot (I didn’t plan that little pun, but you’re welcome for that!)
‘Out Of The Blue,’ has a very moody melody that almost implies the singer’s loneliness until his lover comes to him “out of the blue.” It’s an excellent ballad and Brando’s vocals blent well with those of background singer Jenee Fleenor.
My favorite track on the record is ‘All You Had To Do.’ Coming on with a Western Swing groove, there’s a lot of excellent musicianship displayed here, but the melody and relatively simple lyrics make it just a fun song to listen to. Brando’s melody is light and airy and he sings it with aplomb.
The latter part of the album flags a little. ‘At The Trough,’ while a clever and humorous take on the cost of gas, seems a bit out of Brando’s comfortable vocal range at times and there are some lines that I felt could have been a bit better. Similarly, the title track meanders a bit in terms of the writing, though Brando turns in a good vocal performance.
‘That’s Just The Way That It Goes’ is full of solid songs (things also end on a high note with ‘Tangled Up Again’) and excellent performances. Brando’s done well for himself with this one and hopefully it will further raise his profile among the songwriter scene here in town.
Liv Carter
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
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